April 22, 2026
Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning) is voicing his outrage at the fact that an inmate at Attica Correctional Facility recently brutally assaulted and injured six correction officers. The same inmate who attacked these officers previously assaulted a civilian counsel and a correction officer at Lakeview Correctional Facility less than two months ago. Palmesano argues this is just the latest example of how the powder-keg environment that Albany Democrats have created with their policies has erupted. In fact, things have gotten so bad that the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) has declared a systemic emergency in our prisons.
“There is no excuse for an inmate to be able to assault correction officers and civilian staff, not once but twice, and yet there is silence from Albany Democrats and Gov. Hochul, even though it is their failed policies, such as the HALT Act, that allowed this to happen in the first place,” said Palmesano.
“My Republican colleagues and I have repeatedly pushed for the repeal of HALT for years, only for it to fall on deaf ears. I thought this might change; however, when the governor’s own HALT task force published a list of recommended changes to HALT last year, but neither the Legislature nor the governor has acted to implement these common-sense safety proposals. This is an absolute slap in the face to our brave correction officers. They deserve better; they deserve to have a Legislature and a governor who have their backs, but unfortunately, they have neither right now from Gov. Hochul and Albany Democrats. This is dangerous, and this is wrong,” concluded Palmesano.
