The Debate: Should NY Allow 18-Year-Olds As Corrections Officers?

Governor Kathy Hochul wants to change the age requirement to work in prisons in New York State. There has been a lot of unrest in the NY prison system over the past few months. On two separate occasions, inmates have allegedly been beaten to death by corrections officers, guards went on an unlawful strike, and major changes have been demanded to the HALT Act.

Messiah Nantwi was beaten to death by corrections officers according to multiple witness accounts, the same day striking guards were to return to work from their unauthorized strike. There seems to be a culture of violence within the staff and leadership within New York State prisons. Nantwi's death comes just months after Robert Brooks was beaten to death while in handcuffs by prison guards. Ten guards have been indicted in Brooks' brutal death. Many believe that the illegal strike by corrections officers in New York was designed to distract from the horrific death that Brooks suffered.

New York Is Experiencing A Shortage Of Prison Guards

Due to corrections officers breaking Taylor's Law by striking, 2,000 NYS corrections officers were fired recently. Strikes by public employees in New York are prohibited by Taylor's Law. The prison guards participating in the illegal strike wanted the HALT Act repealed. The act limits the use of solitary confinement, which community activists and prisoner advocates say helps protect incarcerated individuals from being abused.

Now, Gov. Hochul wants to open up the job market to a whole new potential group of corrections officers. She proposes lowering the age requirement to be a CO from 21 to 18. She says the younger guards would not carry guns and only participate in supervised activities. This is a potential solution to the staffing issues within the prison system. Teens from New York can join the military and go to war, so it's not far-fetched that they could work in prisons.

Teens Working In High-Stress Jobs Isn't Unheard Of

Three states - Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico - currently allow 18-year-olds to work as correctional officers. In 2018, almost 50 percent of active-duty enlisted members of the Army were ages 17 to 24, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. There seems to be a growing trend of allowing teens to work. Florida Republicans are advancing their efforts to lower the working age for teens and remove limits on how many hours and days they can work. A House bill in the state,

"Would remove Florida child labor protections by allowing minors to work more than 30 hours per week during the school year; work more than eight hours in a day without a 30-minute break; and work more than eight hours the day before a school day."

Gov. Hochul's proposal faces many challenges, including issues with the safety of the young COs and inmates and the maturity of a teenage workforce.

Currently, Rensselaer County is hiring and allows a minimum age of 18 to work as corrections officers for the Sheriff’s Office. The Dutchess and Rockland County Sheriff's Offices are hiring COs with a minimum age of 20. Other counties, like Albany County, only require graduation from high school or a high school equivalency diploma and list no minimum age requirement.