After Inmate Bit Guard, Nurse Assaulted, And Urine Thrown At Other Guards, Union Calls For Reform Rollback

WALLKILL, NY —In two separate, troubling incidents at the medium-security Wallkill Correctional Facility, staff members were assaulted by an inmate, prompting the union representing corrections officers to renew a call for a rollback of recently enacted reforms.

On Feb. 27, an officer and a National Guardsman were standing near the cell door of an inmate on personal watch when the inmate used a paper cup to throw urine through the door, striking both men in the upper body and legs, according to guards. Five minutes later, the inmate repeated the act, throwing urine at a second officer, prison officials said.

The two corrections officers and the National Guardsman were treated for exposure at the prison medical facility.

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In a separate incident on March 4, a corrections officer discovered an inmate unresponsive on the floor but breathing. A medical response was initiated. Once additional staff arrived and the inmate was being placed in a wheelchair for transport, he became combative and attempted to strike one of the officers, according to prison officials.

According to prison staff, what happened next was even more harrowing.

During the escort to the infirmary, the inmate bit one officer on the forearm, breaking the skin. At the infirmary, the inmate elbowed a nurse and spit on her. He also spit on another officer before being brought under control.

The officer who was bitten was treated and sought further treatment at an urgent care facility. A second officer sustained wrist and hand injuries while subduing the inmate but continued on duty. The nurse was not seriously injured.

The union representing correctional officers, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, put the blame squarely on reforms that limit an officer's ability to discipline inmates who act out violently.

"Weak disciplinary systems and the absence of meaningful consequences for bad behavior often result in continued and escalating misconduct," Mid-Hudson Region Vice President Joe Horacek said. "Inmates recognize that there is little accountability for their violent actions. The HALT Act has fostered an environment that undermines the safety of both staff and law-abiding inmates. Until the legislature seriously considers the recommendations made by the HALT Committee, incidents like these will persist. Throwing incidents not only put the health of our members at risk but also highlight a work environment that fails to prioritize the safety of the men and women who serve inside these prisons every day."

The Humane Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act, which went into effect in 2021, limits solitary confinement in New York prisons to 15 days, mandates out-of-cell programming, and bans solitary for some vulnerable populations.