NEW YORK — Staff vacancies in New York’s prisons have climbed sharply following a wildcat correction officers’ strike earlier in 2025, with the number of unfilled positions more than doubling in just over a year.
As of April 2025, the statewide vacancy rate within the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) stood at 27.4%, up from 13.3% at the beginning of 2024, according to data from the Correctional Association of New York (CANY). Security staff positions were hit the hardest, with vacancies reaching 31.8% compared to 11% the year before.
The 22-day strike began in February over staffing shortages, safety concerns and the implementation of the HALT Act. The state declared the strike over in March after reaching an agreement with the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA). However, DOCCS confirmed that more than 2,000 officers who did not return to work by the state’s deadline were terminated.
State response and recruitment efforts
To address the staffing shortfall, DOCCS has launched a recruitment initiative. Following the strike, the agency reports a 160% increase in exam participation, a 62% rise in hiring and the reinstatement of more than 740 employees.
Key staffing figures
- Overall vacancies: 27.4% in April 2025, up from 13.3% in January 2024.
- Security staff: 31.8% vacant, compared with 11% in 2024.
- Other services: Vacancies remain high, though some improved slightly from 2024:
- Health services: 23.1% (down from 25.1%)
- Program staff: 13.9% (down from 16.2%)
- Support/administrative staff: 18.1% (down from 18.6%)
- Facility-level shortages: Several prisons reported more than half of security positions vacant, including Upstate (66.6%), Lakeview (57.4%), Cayuga (56.5%), Bare Hill (54.8%) and Collins (54.7%).
“The staffing numbers from April 2025 show how the wildcat strike and its aftermath have pushed an already strained system deeper into crisis,” said Jennifer Scaife, executive director of CANY. “The data highlights the urgent need for strategic, long-term solutions to the challenge of staffing prisons in New York.”
The Correctional Association’s staffing data is part of its transparency dashboard, which also tracks information on incarcerated populations, deaths in custody and unusual incidents. CANY plans to add program enrollment and completion data later in 2025.
CANY is an independent nonprofit organization with a legislative mandate to monitor and report on prison conditions. Founded in 1844, the group was deputized by the state two years later to provide civilian oversight of prisons. CANY conducts monitoring visits, publishes reports and informs policy aimed at improving conditions across the state correctional system.
