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Delegate, Seabrook Clash
'A Proactive Stance' Officer Jenkins maintained that the members really weren't aware of the proposed changes and that he wanted to take a "proactive stance" against the amendments. The Board of Corrections proposals - which have been backed by Correction Commissioner Martin F. Horn - include decreasing the space mandated to house inmates, requiring prisoners to wear uniforms, and permitting officers to monitor their phone calls. But the unions representing uniformed correction officers and multiple prisoner rights groups have objected to several of the suggested changes. The unions are concerned with the plan to amend and in some cases repeal regulations requiring the department to have employees fluent in Spanish available and guidelines specifying how much overtime officers can work. They also object to a plan decreasing the space required to house inmates.
'Get Everybody Involved' Officer Jenkins, who works at the Anna M. Kross Center, said that he plans to collect several hundred more signatures with the extra time. "If there is something that is going to happen, we want to get everybody involved," he remarked. Mr. Seabrook, however, questioned his motivation. The union president pointed out that in April he testified before the board against the changes the union opposes. "We were there when it counted, and we continue to oppose it," he asserted. "I can't think of anything more proactive than giving clear and forceful testimony at the hearing before the board." The correction unions have argued against changing the rules prohibiting an officer from working more than two consecutive shifts and mandating that they be afforded at least 10 hours off before returning to duty after working two consecutive tours. In a letter to the board before the hearing, Mr. Seabrook noted that many of the overtime rules were enacted following the jail riots that occurred in the 1980s. "It was determined that Correction Officers were over-worked and the lack of sufficient rest they received between their shifts diminished their alertness and thus impeded their ability to perform their duties at optimal levels," his letter said. "The bottom line is that the proposed repeal of Section 1-03 is not good for the safety and security of the officers and not effective for providing the utmost care, custody and control of inmates." Added Responsibility Mr. Seabrook said COBA has a "very serious" problem with decreasing the space required for inmates from 60 square feet to 50 per inmate. That plan, he noted, would allow the department to add 10 inmates to each dormitory, which would in turn require one Correction Officer to oversee 120 inmates, up from 100. Commissioner Horn told reporters that the move is a cost-cutting measure and maintained that it will not affect security. The current minimum standards date back to 1978. Those rules, he said, "shackle us in our attempt to run safe jails in ways no other jail in the state of New York is restrained." He noted that the board currently allows the department to house groups of up to 60 sentenced inmates in 50-square-foot modular dormitories. "There is no evidence to demonstrate it is a problem," he testified. "The proposed change will allow us to continue to maximize the number of inmates in air-conditioned housing and also will enable us, as we move forward with our plan to reduce the capacity of the jail system to move greater numbers of inmates off Rikers Island." See Threat to Safety Prisoner advocacy groups, however, have blasted the plan, contending that it violates inmates' rights and will create safety hazards in the jails. Mr. Horn defended a key component of the drafted suggestions, noting that other jurisdictions already use less space to house inmates. "And I am aware of no evidence that it has been deleterious to good jail operation or the welfare of persons confined in our adjacent counties," he remarked. The correction unions support the proposals to enable the department to monitor inmate phone calls and requiring that inmates wear uniforms. COBA suggested that sentenced inmates wear different colors than the other prisoners so that officers can recognize the higher-security risks. "This is particularly important in view of other proposed changes which will often permit sentenced and detainee inmates to be housed together," Mr. Seabrook testified. Inmates clothing often has many seams and pockets, which makes it easier for them to sneak in contraband, Mr. Horn noted. "Such clothing often includes small buttons, metal zippers and other articles that diminish our ability to properly search inmates utilizing walk-through magnetometers," he testified. Uniforms' Benefits Sidney Schwartzbaum, who represents Deputy Wardens and other supervisors, said uniforms would reduce fighting among inmates over clothes and their ability to "fly their gang colors." During a phone interview last week, he blasted the proposal to decrease housing space. "That's a ludicrous proposition, and I hope that the voting board members make an intelligent decision and vote it down," he asserted. Newly elected Correction Captains' Association President Ronald Whitfield has also been highly critical of that plan. "This is a safety issue," Mr. Whitfield contended. "Reducing the square footage will put a burden not only on the officers but also on the Captain." Mr. Seabrook, however, said that he was confident the unions would be "victorious."
The board is expected to vote on the proposed changes,
which have been reviewed by the city's Law Department, in the fall.
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