Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Benny Boscio Jr., President of Correction Officers Benevolent Association, on NYC Department of Correction Budget and Working Conditions
4:52:39
ยท
6 min
Benny Boscio Jr., President of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, testifies about the challenges faced by correction officers in NYC jails, particularly at Rikers Island. He emphasizes the dangerous working conditions, staffing shortages, and the need for better support and resources for officers.
- Highlights the violent nature of the inmate population, with approximately 70% facing violent felony charges
- Calls for increased funding for officer safety, recruitment, and retention, including capital expenditures for improving facilities at Rikers Island
- Criticizes the city's focus on inmate interests and urges the committee to prioritize the safety and security of correction officers
Benny Boscio Jr.
4:52:39
Good afternoon chairwoman Ayala and the members of your committee.
4:52:43
My name is Benny Bosio Junior.
4:52:44
I am the president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, the second largest law enforcement union in the City Of New York.
4:52:51
Our members, as you know, provide care, custody, and control of approximately 7,000 inmates daily.
4:52:57
Our members are essential first responders who risk their lives every day to keep our city safe.
4:53:02
For many New Yorkers, we are out of sight and out of mind and often unfairly scapegoated for all the problems in our jails.
4:53:11
The fact remains that New York City correction officers protect and save lives every day.
4:53:16
We intercede while violent gang members are assaulting, slashing, and stabbing one another to protect the nonviolent inmates they are attacking.
4:53:25
We recover weapons and drugs in our facilities on a daily basis.
4:53:29
We prevent suicide attempts and unfortunately, you never hear about the countless suicides we prevent.
4:53:36
We administer Narcan to revive inmates who are overdosed from drugs.
4:53:42
We ensure the inmates in our custody receive all the programming they are entitled to escorting them safely to and from court or medical appointments.
4:53:52
I want to provide a quick example of just one of the violent population my members must deal with daily.
4:53:59
Recently, there was a story in the New York Post that reported on the violent rampage committed by one of our dangerous inmates who assaulted three officers in a span of one week, including two female officers.
4:54:13
Since he entered Rikers in 2022, he has attacked 45 correction officers and three civilians.
4:54:20
His rap sheet includes 30 arrests including charges of murder, assault, and robbery.
4:54:27
Approximately 70% of our inmate population is facing violent felony charges just like this inmate.
4:54:35
This is the climate my members work in every day.
4:54:38
In the span of one year from 02/21/2024 to 02/21/2025, there have been approximately 560 inmate assaults on correction officers.
4:54:50
In addition to these attacks, there have been a 22 spitting incidents, 225 splashing incidents, approximately 20 sexual assaults, nearly a 70 slashings, and over 100 stabbings.
4:55:03
During that same period, our officers recovered 600 items related to contraband meaning weapons or drugs.
4:55:12
Our officers continue to perform essential services and maintain safety and security in our jails all while dealing with a significant increase in our inmate population that is also increasingly more violent.
4:55:25
Our headcount is at approximately 5,000 officers.
4:55:28
It is the lowest it's been in decades.
4:55:30
This is why we continue to have one of the highest vacancy rates of any city agency.
4:55:36
The city constantly asks us to do more with less.
4:55:41
Over time, that takes a toll on even the boldest of my members.
4:55:47
Safe staffing levels matter.
4:55:50
Despite the city's efforts to recruit more officers including the $3,000,000 the $3,000,000 included in the mayor's preliminary budget proposal, those efforts are falling far short of their targeted goals.
4:56:03
The department is not even close to keeping up with attrition.
4:56:07
DOC must simultaneously focus on retaining the officers it has, which is our best chance to achieve safe staffing levels soonest.
4:56:17
To achieve these goals, the city must make significant investments to support our officers and improve our working conditions instead of disciplining us for everything we do.
4:56:28
Imagine getting punched in the face in an unprovoked attack by a person in custody and you getting suspended for defending yourself.
4:56:36
This is what's happening to us.
4:56:38
The specific use of the money allocated to the problem must be scrutinized more closely.
4:56:44
For example, it's outrageous that the city has allocated billions of dollars in the capital budget to fund new borough jails that are nowhere close to being completed while ignoring our dilapidated current jails and the men and women who work there every day.
4:57:01
Therefore, I'm calling for an exemption exception to be created in this budget to allow for capital expenditures to be made on Rikers Island.
4:57:12
It is inhumane to leave my members to work below acceptable standards of habitabil habitability, sorry, simply because the city has an unrealistic idea of when Rykers can be closed.
4:57:29
One major capital expenditure needs to be replacing countless dilapidated trailers on Rikers Island that so many of my members are forced to work from on a daily basis.
4:57:41
For recruitment, add more financial incentives including signing bonuses to enhance recruitment efforts targeting advertising messaging towards military veterans and engage with our untapped groups rather than marketing to the same pool repeatedly for retention, enhanced usage of specialty pay, hazard pay, OT bonus incentives and increasing the value of pension credits after full vesting, immediately updating and replacing all inoperable cells to keep officers and inmates safe from violent offenders, allocate significant funding for upgraded sanitary and modern showers in locker rooms for our officers, which many are currently inoperable and and in deplorable conditions.
4:58:30
We also need the council support when it comes to providing home rule messages that will help pass legislation in Albany to enhance the pensions of our workforce to incentivize, retain retainment, and establish a viable career path.
4:58:48
Almost done.
4:58:49
The city's budget is a reflection of the priorities set forth by you and your colleagues on the council.
4:58:56
For far too long, your priorities have been focused solely on serving the interests of the inmates in our custody, even the most violent ones.
4:59:06
If this committee is genuine about enhancing the safety of everyone in our jails, then this committee must prioritize the safety and security of my members as well.
4:59:17
With that said, I'm happy to answer any of your questions.