10 Guards Attacked And Injured At A New York State Prison

According to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, 10 guards were attacked at a prison. The department issued a statement on its Facebook page saying that prisoners at Coxsackie Correctional Facility allegedly injured the correctional officers. DOCCS reports that the 10 guards sustained injuries, and four were taken to a local hospital.

Coxsackie Correctional Facility is located in Greene County, about 25 miles south of Albany.

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As the Department continues to battle a rise in violent conduct within its facilities, an incident yesterday involving incarcerated individuals at Coxsackie Correctional Facility assaulting staff resulted in injuries to at least 10 security personnel who responded. Four staff members were taken to an outside hospital for further treatment with injuries ranging from head trauma to blood exposure and four staff members with pain and swelling remained on duty. As a result, a full frisk of the facility began this morning and the incident remains under investigation.

Violence such as this makes the work of the Department’s Prison Violence Task Force more crucial than ever to maintain the safety and security of our facilities. The Department has zero tolerance for violence within our facilities and any individuals found responsible for this incident will be disciplined and be referred for outside prosecution.

New York State Won’t Allow Prisoners To Receive Packages From Their Families

New York State has taken away prisoners' ability to receive packages sent directly from their family members and loved ones. The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision implemented the pilot program on July 18, 2022. The DOCCS claims that it is prohibiting packages in an effort to prevent prisoners from receiving contraband,

In a continuous battle to prevent contraband from getting into DOCCS’ correctional facilities and maintaining security and safety for both staff and the incarcerated population, the Department is revising its policy concerning packages and articles received through facility package rooms.

Prisoners Can Only Get Packages Directly From Vendors

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The program is being piloted in the Wende Hub, which includes Albion, Attica, Collins, Groveland, Lakeview, Orleans, Wende, and Wyoming Correctional Facilities.

Upon complete implementation, packages and articles will only be allowed to be received directly from vendors via U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, etc. Packages will no longer be allowed to be brought to the facility during visits or mailed directly to the facility from family or friends. Department Directive #4911 – Packages & Articles Sent to Facilities – is in the process of being updated.

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These 7 Prisons Are The Most Violent In New York State

New York released a report with the most recent number of violent assaults on inmates in state prisons. There were 134 inmate deaths noted in the report, although it doesn't break down the prisons where each death occurred or who caused them. Here's a look at some of the general violent incidents reported for 2020, which is the most recent data reported by the state. Compared to 10 years ago, inmate assaults have almost doubled. In 2011 there were 666 and in 2020 there were 1,205 reported. These numbers do not include inmate assaults on staff members. Overall, the number of unusual incidents includes things like assaults, deaths, accidents, sexual misconduct, and disruptive behavior. According to the state,

"The number of unusual incidents has increased 132% from 5,980 in 2011 to 13,870 in 2020. These higher incident numbers were largely due to increases in assaults on incarcerated individuals (+81%), assaults on staff (+86%), contraband (+130%), disruptive behavior (+372%), and staff use of weapons (+1,035%)."

In 2020, 1,836 weapons used to cut or stab, including ice picks, razor blades, can lids and shanks were discovered in state prisons around New York.