By C1 Staff
ALBANY – The New York correctional officers union continues their rounds in attempting to shed light on the rising violence inside facilities.
The Times Union reports that one of the incidents the union highlighted included an Oct. 21 attack on a female corrections officer that nearly turned into a rape.
Inmate Omar Richardson hid in a locker in a supply room and attacked the officer when she entered. He grabbed her by her upper arms, restrained her and said he wanted to “kiss” and “taste” her.
The officer was able to break free after a brief struggle and called for help.
Richardson was forced to the ground by other officers and restrained.
He is currently serving a 20-year sentence for attempted murder, robbery and weapon possession.
The officer, unnamed, has been on the job less than a year. Those who came to her assistance suffered minor injuries and were treated at the prison.
While the union maintains that prison closures has led to overcrowding and lack of safety for corrections employees, the DOC states that there is no correlation between the prison closures and the rise of assaults on staff.
According to the DOC, seven facilities were closed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2011. In that year, there were 563 assaults on staff; the next year, the number dropped to 534.