Green Haven Officer Injured After Inmate Hurls 25 lb Dumbbell

Conflict broke out recently at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville, NY. This event is just one of many instances of violence that has taken place against corrections officers in the last year.

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Official Account of the Event as of now at Green Haven

Official reports show that the event took place last weekend on the morning of April 8. The inmate, who was not named was entering a housing unit of in the facility carrying a 25 pound dumbbell with him. Upon entering the housing unit, the inmate flung the dumbbell and struck the officer. Officers immediately responded and apprehended the inmate.

According to News 12 Westchester....

The officer who was injured by the dumbbell was treated by medical staff at the facility and transported to Vassar Brothers Medical Center for pain, swelling and discomfort to his left hand and finger.

Officials also stated that this situation could have been much worse and potentially deadly.

As for the inmate, his identity was not disclosed however it was mentioned that he was in the midst of serving his second stint in prison due stemming from weapons possession.

New York Correctional Officers and the HALT Act

The HALT Act is something of which I have written about previously but in its simplest form it is legislation that was designed with intent to protect inmates from what were deemed "extreme forms of punishment". The HALT Act was voted on in 2021 and went into effect in 2022 (follow this link to read previous article on the HALT Act). However it appears that this legislation has opened the door for increased instances of violence inside these facilities.

Following the implementation of the HALT Act, instances of violence increased greatly inside New York correctional facilities. In fact new records were set for instances of violence between inmates as well as instances of violence between inmates against staff.

Many corrections officials have been frustrated with the HALT Act and its rules and the belief is that these new rules make corrections officers and other staff in the facilities less safe. Chris Moreau is one of these officials and he is the Mid-Hudson Region vice president of The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association. in a statement he said...

What will it take for those legislators to wake up?

Have an officer killed at the hands of an inmate?

 

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Moreau frustrations are more evident as he also stated that he "is not sure" whether an officer being killed on the job would make state legislators change their "ineffective policies".

One thing is abundantly clear in this most recent incident as well as the other incidents that have taken place since the HALT Act went active and that thing is that the violence towards CO's as well as other staff can not continue at this rate. Some type of changes will have to be implemented because breaking more violence records is something that I'm sure no party wants.