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Assemblyman And Union Call For Reversal Of DOCCS Protocol Changes

Clinton Correctional
Pat Bradley/WAMC
Clinton Correctional

In mid-August, the union representing corrections officers in New York state said the state Department of Corrections had stopped testing for contraband materials sent to inmates in correctional facilities.  A northern New York state representative is also taking up demands to reinstate protocols for inspection and prevention of contraband drugs entering the prisons.
115th District state Assemblyman D. Billy Jones is a former corrections officer.  For several weeks the Democrat has been calling on the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, or DOCCS, to reverse a decision to halt drug testing of contraband sent to inmates due to false positives.  Jones recently stood across from Clinton Correctional in Dannemora to reiterate that call.  “The one issue of vital importance is the drug testing of contraband and illicit drugs going into our facilities. And what we’re calling on DOCCS to do is to reinstate that ASAP.  There also has been suspension of urinalysis testing of inmates for the past 6, 7 months.  We would like to see that program put back into place.  We want to keep these facilities as safe as possible.”

NYSCOBPA, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, Northern Region Vice President John Roberts noted the use of Narcan to reverse overdoses has increased over the past few weeks.  “Since the drug testing stopped, I believe it was September 18th, there has been significant increases in Narcan use and inmates having to go to outside hospitals for suspected overdoses. Staff do respond in issuing the Narcan and helping save these lives. But it’s a lot easier to prevent than what currently is going on.”

Roberts added the DOCCS policy also prevents officers from testing incoming packages for illegal drugs.  “When an inmate say receives a package you see some type of foreign substance maybe in a can when you send it through the x-rays, or some of the security protocols we have, you notice abnormalies. You don’t want to take something that they’re entitled to have but also you don’t want to give something that maybe is drugs meant for them. And a lot of drugs nowadays are made synthetically, being mailed in, and you don’t know what’s in it. You know maybe mixed with some PCP or heroin or fentanyl and it just causes massive overdoses to inmates. Which is not safe for offices. It’s not safe for inmates. It’s not safe for the medical staff or the communities that have to deal with the overdose at the hospital once they get to an outside hospital.”

A spokesperson for DOCCS emailed WAMC that “DOCCS is reviewing its current procedure for the testing of suspected contraband drugs. During this review, we have suspended testing. As part of the review, DOCCS is working with the Office of the Inspector General, and cannot comment further at this time.”

Meanwhile, DOCCS Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci testified before the New York Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections this week on the impact of COVID-19 in prison facilities. While he was not asked about contraband testing, he and Executive Deputy Commissioner Daniel. F. Martuscello responded to a query about drug and urinalysis testing of inmates.  “We had to stop drug testing because of problems with the vender that we had and in fact we going to a new vender. And Dan I believe the new contract has been approved by the comptroller?”

Martuscello: “Yeah, correct. In terms of the urinalysis testing where we had initially suspended we’ve now promulgated a contract for outside confirmatory laboratory testing.  We have resumed doing suspicion testing but we have not resumed just random testing of the population. So we are doing some level of testing where appropriate and we anticipate with the new contract we’ll be getting back to our regular testing regimen.”