By C1 Staff
COXSACKIE, NY — The state’s corrections officer’s union is calling the suspension of a Greene Correctional Facility officer an effort to draw attention away from criticism on the Department of Corrections.
An unnamed corrections officer at the facility left a supply room door unlocked, allowing an inmate to hide inside and later assault a female officer.
She was able to fight him off and call for help, but state officials are still holding the male officer accountable of not following procedure, according to the Daily Freeman.
On Wednesday morning, the union organized a rally with more than 100 in attendance outside the facility to protest the officer’s suspension.
“Had [the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision] responded … with anything less than a suspension for the correction officer who did not follow procedure, it could be perceived as an unwillingness to take the incident seriously,” department officials said in a prepared statement Wednesday. “A review of the incident by DOCCS found the assault on staff would have been avoided altogether had the DOCCS’ long-standing protocols been followed.
“Futhermore, the union’s claim that the suspension was meant to distract criticism away from the agency is completely false. Since the union themselves admitted the incident was a serious offense … it would seem appropriate that the union would want to hold accountable those responsible for the incident.”
The union said the attacking inmate, Omar Richardson, should not have been in a medium-security facility due to his violent history.
Corrections Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci said Richardson will face “the ultimate consequences of his actions,” including 11 disciplinary infractions and potential criminal prosecution. His release date in 2018 may also be delayed.