At a special session on March 5, 2025, the Greene County Legislature overwhelmingly passed Resolution No. 86-25 calling for New York State to protect the safety of its Corrections Officers by repealing the highly controversial Humane Alternatives to Long-term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act.
The resolution cites a 25% increase in assaults on corrections staff since it went into effect in 2022. While it was meant to establish alternatives to long-term solitary confinement, the HALT Act also limits segregated disciplinary confinement of inmates to a Special Housing Unit (SHU) with other offenders apart from the general prison population.
“The implementation of HALT has basically removed the consequences of committing violent acts inside our prisons”, says Patrick S. Linger – Chair of the Greene County Legislature. “The result is an increasingly violent environment that endangers Corrections Officers, civilian staff, and inmates as well.”
The legislature strongly believes that convicted murderers, career violent criminals, and other dangerous inmates already serving life sentences are not deterred from committing violent acts while incarcerated.
“It’s important to understand that confinement within the SHU is not even true solitary confinement”, states Majority Leader Matthew Luvera. “It segregates violent offenders from the general prison population, and can only be imposed under significant procedural safeguards including a hearing.”
The resolution also cites the fact the HALT act is causing meaningful programs for general population inmates to be canceled due to lack of staff. Staff that should be instructing these programs are being redeployed to cover the HALT law mandated programs.
“Corrections Officers and prison staff are facing increased dangers every day”, notes Minority Leader Harry Lennon. “Not only are there more and more assaults, but the cancellation of meaningful programs actually punishes the general population inmates that are complying with facility rules, resulting in more idle time and friction inside the facility.”
The resolution concludes “The Greene County Legislature calls upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to enact immediate legislation repealing S.2836, known as the HALT Act, and restoring the prior inmate disciplinary framework, which provided for meaningful disciplinary sanctions to deter violent conduct by inmates, while also respecting inmates’ procedural and personal rights”.
Through the issuance of this resolution, the Greene County Legislature is demonstrating its commitment to the safety and well-being of the Correction Officers and staff working with our county.
