January 9, 2026
FROM THE STATE PRISON GUARD UNION: The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) has issued a statement regarding the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s (DOCCS) unilateral implementation of changes to the definition of assault in Unusual Incident reports.
Following recent discussions with DOCCS on updating assault definitions to better align with New York State Penal Law and improve tracking for inmate prosecutions, NYSCOPBA advocated strongly for additional definitions to terms to include menacing and reckless endangerment. These additions were essential to ensure that all disruptive and dangerous behaviors faced by our members are accurately documented and addressed.
NYSCOPBA refused to consent to the assault definition changes without these critical expansions, as narrowing the assault definition alone fails to capture the full realities of the risks our officers encounter daily. Despite our position, DOCCS has proceeded unilaterally to implement the revised definitions effective January 1, 2026, in order to collect a full year of data under the new standards.
Mark our words: A year from now, DOCCS will be touting that the number of assaults has dropped and prisons are much safer when, in reality, it’s because they refuse to acknowledge the harsh reality that our members are facing dangerous situations every day—but those dangerous situations won’t be fully tracked under DOCCS’ new definition. Lowering assault numbers without further defining other dangerous situations run the risk of making it look like the failed policies of the NYS Legislature are working. NYSCOPBA has said time and time again: If they want to make meaningful changes, they must listen to the brave men and women who work in these facilities every day!
Our team fought tirelessly to ensure every dangerous incident gets properly logged for the safety of our members and to support effective prosecutions. NYSCOPBA remains committed to advocating for fair and comprehensive definitions that fully reflect the challenges of correctional work and will continue pursuing agreeable changes moving forward.
