New Report: CANY Releases Findings from Monitoring Visit to Wyoming Correctional Facility
ATTICA, NY – The Correctional Association of New York (CANY), designated by law to provide independent oversight of prisons in New York State, released a new report today after conducting a two-day monitoring visit to Wyoming Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for adult men in Attica. The visits were carried out as part of CANY's oversight mandate, pursuant to Correctional Law §146(3).
CANY’s monitoring visit took place on May 8 and 9 of 2023. During the visit, CANY representatives engaged in a thorough examination of the prison’s conditions, conducting interviews with 141 incarcerated individuals, holding meetings with executive staff, employee union representatives, and members of the Incarcerated Liaison Committee (ILC) and Incarcerated Grievance Review Committee (IGRC). Additionally, observations were made in various areas of the facility, including medical and program areas, the general library, law library, mess hall, recreation yard, and the mail and package room.
“We were impressed by the comprehensive program offerings at Wyoming, including special education classes for individuals with learning differences. But these positive impressions were undermined by widespread allegations that security staff abuse their power and perpetrate racial discrimination against Black incarcerated men,” said Jennifer Scaife, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York. “We urge the Department to take these allegations seriously by conducting a thorough investigation and holding staff accountable for any findings of misconduct.”
The visit aimed to assess the provision of basic services, including commissary, food, phones, visits, and packages, as well as examining the state of medical and dental care, mental health services, programming, staff behavior, grievances, discipline, and material conditions.
Below are the key findings from CANY’s monitoring report from Wyoming:
Commissary
Respondents found that commissary items are often unavailable and sometimes unaffordable. Access to commissary items is perceived to be impacted by external factors such as inflation and internal factors like the facility's fixed commissary schedule.
Food
While most respondents report receiving three meals a day, dissatisfaction with food quality is prevalent. Some individuals either opt out of dining at the mess hall or face barriers to access.
Phones
Almost all respondents report being able to access phones and tablets.
Visits
The proportion of respondents receiving in-person visits in Wyoming is lower compared to other medium security prisons.
Packages
Most respondents can access items from packages in a timely manner, but many find packages incomplete, with arbitrary decisions on permissible items.
Medical and Dental Care
Respondents are generally satisfied with healthcare in Wyoming but express frustration with long waiting times for specialty care.
Mental Health Care
Some respondents express hesitancy about seeking mental health services.
Programming
A higher proportion of respondents report access to necessary academic and vocational programs compared to other medium security prisons.
Staff Behavior
Reports of racialized abuse by staff are higher in Wyoming, with allegations of discrimination based on hairstyle affecting access to services.
Grievances
Few respondents report filing grievances, and there is a general perception of the grievance process as illegitimate.
Discipline
Respondents describe the disciplinary system as unfair, arbitrary, and disproportionately harsh.
Material Conditions and Environmental Issues
While respondents are generally satisfied with living quarters, temperature controls are frequently characterized as inadequate.
During CANY’s visit, the executive team reported information about Wyoming’s layout, capital projects, programs, staff, and incarcerated population. CANY supplemented the information reported by the executive team by reviewing administrative datasets obtained via FOIL request. CANY uses these datasets to compare the demographic characteristics of the Wyoming population and incidents reported in Wyoming to those of the entire DOCCS system.
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.