ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Saritha Komatireddy calls for safer New York prisons
AG Candidate says prison safety worsened; backs officers, criticizes $1 billion state response
-
Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 23, Apr 2026
- 01:46 EDT
- 17
Saritha Komatireddy / Saritha Komatireddy via X
New York attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy called for changes to the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act, saying the law has made prisons less safe and limited corrections officers’ ability to maintain order.
In a statement issued April 21, Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, said she supports rank-and-file corrections officers and wants reforms to the HALT Act, which was signed into law in 2021 and took effect in March 2022. The law restricts the use of long-term solitary confinement and limits certain disciplinary measures.
ALSO READ: Komatireddy secures GOP nomination for NY attorney general
Komatireddy said prison safety has deteriorated under the law. “Crime in our state prisons is out of control, and it’s because of the HALT Act, which puts both inmates and staff at risk,” she said. She added that officers who raised concerns were “fired and sued,” and criticized state spending on temporary measures. “We need to give corrections officers the tools they need to restore order and keep everyone safe.”
According to the statement, more than 10,000 corrections officers went on strike in 2025 at all but one of the state’s 42 prisons, citing unsafe working conditions linked to HALT restrictions. Gov. Kathy Hochul fired about 2,000 officers, and Attorney General Letitia James pursued legal action against them.
The state replaced officers with National Guard personnel, costing about $700 million through March 2026, with another $535 million included in the current budget plan, the statement said. More than 3,000 Guard members remain stationed in prisons.
“Putting National Guardsmen in the prisons doesn’t solve the problem and commits the state to endless spending,” Komatireddy said. “The Governor used $1 billion on this temporary fix. We could have used that $1 billion to hire more officers, build prison space, and increase prison safety.”
The statement also cited three suspected inmate homicides last week at facilities in Malone, Gouverneur and Ogdensburg. It referenced an April 17 letter from the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association to Hochul raising concerns about 44 incarcerated deaths as of April 1 and increasing violence and contraband.
The association wrote that conditions were “not normal” and warned of a system under “extreme pressure.” It called for adopting recommendations from the Statewide HALT Committee to amend the law.
Komatireddy reiterated her position in a post on X, writing, “Every New Yorker deserves to be safe — including in our prisons. The HALT Act, backed by Kathy Hochul and Letitia James, has made prisons more dangerous by stripping officers of the tools they need to maintain order. Law and order applies everywhere.”
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login