Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) has signed on to a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Daniel F. Martuscello III, commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), urging immediate action to address the ongoing safety crisis in New York’s correctional facilities.

The letter, signed by New York Minority lawmakers, highlights the alarming rise in violence, including record-setting inmate-on-inmate and inmate-on-officer assaults, as well as the growing presence of contraband and drug-related incidents that have further destabilized prison environments. Despite efforts to improve safety, the situation continues to deteriorate, putting correctional officers, civilian staff and inmates at significant risk. The legislators stress the need for meaningful dialogue and urgent reforms, whether through regulatory changes within DOCCS, executive budget amendments or other legal remedies, to restore stability and ensure the safety and well-being of those working in and impacted by the correctional system.

Read the letter to Gov. Hochul and DOCCS Commissioner Martuscello here.