New Reports: CANY Releases Findings from Monitoring Visits to Ulster & Eastern New York Correctional Facilities
NAPANOCH, NY – The Correctional Association of New York (CANY), designated by law to provide independent oversight of prisons in New York State, released two new reports today after conducting monitoring visits to Ulster and Eastern New York Correctional Facilities in Napanoch. The monitoring visits were carried out as part of CANY's oversight mandate, pursuant to Correctional Law §146(3).
Overall, the two monitored prisons offered a more extensive array of program options than other state facilities, yet this was compromised by deficiencies in delivering essential services (ranging from food to healthcare). Additionally, disturbing allegations surfaced regarding verbal, physical, and racial abuse by staff within the general population units.
The visits, which were conducted in late March 2023, sought to monitor Ulster Correctional Facility, a medium-security men’s prison, and Eastern New York Correctional Facility, a maximum-security men’s prison. At Ulster, CANY representatives held interviews with 80 incarcerated individuals and at Eastern, CANY representatives held interviews with 86 incarcerated individuals. CANY designees conducted meetings with various stakeholders within the facility, including the prison’s executive team, medical staff, mental health staff, security staff, and union representatives at both prisons.
Jennifer Scaife, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York, said, "Our visits to Ulster and Eastern New York Correctional Facilities highlighted many promising practices and programs that should be replicated in facilities across the state. Nevertheless, a number of CANY’s findings related to the provision of basic services highlight the persistent challenges faced by DOCCS, challenges that are hardly unique to Ulster and Eastern.”
Below are the key findings from CANY’s monitoring report from Ulster:
Basic Provision of Services
Incarcerated individuals expressed dissatisfaction with food quality and reported difficulties in meeting their dietary needs at Ulster. Allegations were made regarding the availability and affordability of items in the commissary, along with a shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Health Care and Mental Health Services
Incarcerated people reported mixed experiences with the quality and accessibility of health care services at Ulster. People in general population units expressed concerns with timely responses to emergencies.
Staff Behavior
Incarcerated individuals reported instances of abuse by staff, including physical and verbal assaults. However, more incarcerated people provided positive reports about treatment from staff at Ulster compared to other prisons.
Discipline and Grievances
Confidence in the fairness of the disciplinary process at Ulster was fairly low among incarcerated individuals in general population units. Concerns were raised about delays and inattentiveness to grievances, as well as retaliation.
Material Conditions and Environmental Issues
People’s perceptions of the water as being unsafe to drink led many to rely on bottled water. Incarcerated people in general population units also reported a lack of hot water for showers.
Below are the key findings from CANY’s monitoring report from Eastern:
Basic Provision of Services
Incarcerated people reported that items in commissary were inconsistently available and often unaffordable.
While a large portion of people at Eastern reported being afforded three meals a day, many people expressed dissatisfaction with the food quality.
Incarcerated people reported good access to phones and tablets in general population units.
Incarcerated people reported good access to visits in general population units.
Most incarcerated people reported that they were able to access items from packages in a timely manner; however, some experienced arbitrary denials of items.
Medical and Dental Health Care
Incarcerated people reported mixed experiences with the quality and accessibility of healthcare services.
Mental Health
Most people interviewed at Eastern were not on the OMH caseload. A smaller share of respondents reported being interested in mental health programs and unable to access them.
Programming and Recreation
There is a depth and breadth of program opportunities at Eastern that should serve as a model for other facilities across the state.
Staff Behavior
Some incarcerated people provided positive reports about treatment from staff at Eastern compared to other prisons. However, allegations of verbal, physical, and racialized abuse in general population units were also reported.
Grievances
Incarcerated people at Eastern expressed a lack of confidence in the grievance process.
Discipline
Incarcerated people reported an increase in loss of privileges as a discipline for misbehavior reports, correlating with DOCCS’ data showing a decrease in the use of isolated confinement as a sanction following the adoption of the HALT law.
Material Conditions and Environmental Issues
People’s perceptions of water as being unsafe to drink led many to rely on bottled water.
For more detailed information, please refer to the full reports here.
About CANY
CANY, under §146, of New York’s Correction Law, is charged with visiting and examining the state's correctional facilities to identify and report on prison conditions, the treatment of incarcerated individuals, and the administration of policy promulgated by the executive and legislature. Founded in 1844 by concerned citizens of the state and deputized by the state to provide monitoring and oversight of the state’s prisons in 1846, CANY is one of the first organizations in the country prescribed to administer civilian oversight of prisons.
