CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, INC. “PATROLLING THE TOUGHEST PRECINCTS IN NEW YORK” Press Release www.cobanyc.org ELIAS HUSAMUDEEN President “PATROLLING THE CORRECTION OFFIC TOUGHEST PRECINCT CERS’ BENEVOLENT AS TS IN NEW YORK” SSOCIATION, INC. Rele Pres ease ss U U U H H H ww www.co IAS EL ww n nt n e e e yc. yc.org id Pres DEEN AMU US obanyc. 77-10 21ST AVENUE EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. 11370 t 718.545.COBA (2622) • f 718.545.2668 COBA HEADQUARTERS www.cobanyc.org COBA HEADQ 718.545.COB t 77-10 21ST AV QUARTERS 718.545.2668 f • BA (2622) ENUE EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. 11370 www.cobanyc.org NEW REPORT FROM THE CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION DETAILS VIOLENCE AT HORIZON JUVENILE FACILITY IN THE BRONX Report Calls on Policymakers in the City and State of New York to Immediately Adopt COBA’s Three Key Recommendations for Enhancing Safety and Security at the Troubled Facility NEW YORK- The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, the second-largest law enforcement union in the City of New York with over 20,000 active and retired members, has released a new report today, documenting the violence that has plagued the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center in the first 42 days since its inception. The report also proposes a set of key policy recommendations to enhance safety and security for Correction Officers assigned there, as well as the adolescent detainees. The purpose of this report, which is being sent to members of The New York State Assembly the New York State Senate, The New York City Council, and the Federal Monitor just to name a few, is to provide policy makers and others involved in Criminal Justice Reform with an unfiltered and detailed analysis of the issues that COBA believes has contributed to the ongoing safety issues at Horizon. Just within the last several weeks, there have been several Correction Officers assaulted at Horizon. Although COBA supported the Raise the Age law, COBA’s position is that this population was better served by the Department of ACS and not by DOC. Part of the Raise the Age law and the removal of 16 and 17-year-olds from Rikers Island included a plan that sought to place them in a facility designed to meet their developmental and educational needs and to ensure their safety. It was and still is the union’s position that assigning Correction Officers to work at Horizon was out of title work and in violation of the spirit and the intent of the Raise the Age law. “Admitting you have a problem is the first step in fixing the problem,” said COBA President Elias Husamudeen. “Much to the detriment of my members assigned to Horizon, as well as to the detainees there, the City and State of New York refuses to admit that major problems concerning safety and security still exist at Horizon. Rather than admitting that the roll out of Horizon was premature and its operational plan was seriously flawed, the City and State continue to point fingers at one another instead of focusing on finding solutions. That is precisely why we have compiled this report to share with policy makers in order to not just highlight the problems at Horizon, but to actually propose a set of recommendations to fix the problems immediately.” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 29, 2018 CONTACT: MICHAEL SKELLY 917364 8142
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917-364-8142
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CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, INC.“PATROLLING THE TOUGHEST PRECINCTS IN NEW YORK”
PressRelease www.cobanyc.org
ELIAS HUSAMUDEENPresident
“PATROLLING THE
CORRECTION OFFIC
TOUGHEST PRECINCTS IN NEW YORK”
CERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, INC.
TS IN NEW YORK”
SSOCIATION, INC.
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www.cobanyc.orgwww.cobanyc.org
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obanyc.org
917-364-8142
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77-10 21ST AVENUE EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. 11370t 718.545.COBA (2622) • f 718.545.2668
COBA HEADQUARTERS
www.cobanyc.org
C
COBA HEADQ
718.545.COB t77-10 21ST AV
QUARTERS
718.545.2668f• BA (2622) ENUE EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. 11370
www.coban yc.org
917-364-8142
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NEW REPORT FROM THE CORRECTION OFFICERS’BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION DETAILS VIOLENCE ATHORIZON JUVENILE FACILITY IN THE BRONX
Report Calls on Policymakers in the City and State of New York to Immediately Adopt COBA’s Three Key Recommendations for Enhancing Safety and Security at the Troubled Facility
NEW YORK- The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, the second-largest law enforcement union inthe City of New York with over 20,000 active and retired members, has released a new report today,documenting the violence that has plagued the Horizon Juvenile Detention Center in the first 42 days sinceits inception. The report also proposes a set of key policy recommendations to enhance safety and securityfor Correction Officers assigned there, as well as the adolescent detainees.
The purpose of this report, which is being sent to members of The New York State Assembly the New YorkState Senate, The New York City Council, and the Federal Monitor just to name a few, is to provide policymakers and others involved in Criminal Justice Reform with an unfiltered and detailed analysis of the issuesthat COBA believes has contributed to the ongoing safety issues at Horizon. Just within the last severalweeks, there have been several Correction Officers assaulted at Horizon. Although COBA supported theRaise the Age law, COBA’s position is that this population was better served by the Department of ACS andnot by DOC. Part of the Raise the Age law and the removal of 16 and 17-year-olds from Rikers Island includeda plan that sought to place them in a facility designed to meet their developmental and educational needsand to ensure their safety. It was and still is the union’s position that assigning Correction Officers to workat Horizon was out of title work and in violation of the spirit and the intent of the Raise the Age law.
“Admitting you have a problem is the first step in fixing the problem,” said COBA President EliasHusamudeen. “Much to the detriment of my members assigned to Horizon, as well as to the detaineesthere, the City and State of New York refuses to admit that major problems concerning safety and securitystill exist at Horizon. Rather than admitting that the roll out of Horizon was premature and its operationalplan was seriously flawed, the City and State continue to point fingers at one another instead of focusingon finding solutions. That is precisely why we have compiled this report to share with policy makers in orderto not just highlight the problems at Horizon, but to actually propose a set of recommendations to fix theproblems immediately.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENOVEMBER 29, 2018
CONTACT: MICHAEL SKELLY • 917-364 8142
The report identifies several key problems still exist at Horizon. The first problem is - Correction Officersstill are not afforded the use of OC (pepper spray). The second problem concerns the Youth DevelopmentSpecialists (Juvenile Counselors) who remain missing from Horizon, unlike Crossroads. The third problemhas to do with lack of re-arrests, infractions, and disciplinary sanctions imposed on the detainees for theircrimes and infractions committed while in DOC custody at Horizon.
DETAILED BELOW IS A PIE CHART AND DATA SET THAT DETAILS THE SCOPE OF THEVIOLENCE DURING THE FIRST 42 DAYS OF HORIZON’S INCEPTION:
343 97 78%
Use of Force 97
Splashing 3
Inmate Fights 37Assault on Sta� 30
Assaults Against Civilians 2
Spitting 3
Injury (Inmate) 40
Injury (Sta�) 53
Inmates Returned to Rikers 16(Aged Out)
Inappropriate Touching 1
Total Weapons Found 44
REPORT OF INCIDENTS TOTAL # OF INCIDENTS ........................................................................................................................................................................343
TOTAL INMATES INVOLVED IN 1 OR MORE INCIDENT ......................................................................................................................................97
PERCENTAGE OF INMATES INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE INCIDENTS ....................................................................................................................78%
TOTAL USE OF FORCE (UOF) ............................................................................................................................................................................97
TOTAL ASSAULTS ON STAFF (AOS) ..................................................................................................................................................................30
TOTAL INMATE FIGHTS ....................................................................................................................................................................................37
TOTAL SPITTING ..............................................................................................................................................................................................3
TOTAL SPLASHING ..........................................................................................................................................................................................3
TOTAL ASSAULTS AGAINST CIVILIANS ............................................................................................................................................................2
TOTAL INJURY ON (STAFF) ..............................................................................................................................................................................53
TOTAL INJURY ON (INMATE) ............................................................................................................................................................................40
TOTAL INMATES RETURNED TO RIKERS (AGED OUT) ......................................................................................................................................16
TOTAL WEAPONS FOUND ................................................................................................................................................................................44
REPORT ON TOTAL INCIDENTSFROM 9/30/18 THROUGH 11/11/18 (42 DAY PERIOD)
HORIZON JUVENILE CENTER
TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS
TOTAL INMATES INVOLVED IN 1 OR MORE INCIDENT
PERCENTAGE OF INMATES INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE INCIDENTS
INJURIES FROM USE OF FORCE (UOF), ASSAULT ON STAFF (AOS) INCIDENTS INCLUDE:Multiple Abrasions, Bruising, Scrapes, Scratches, Swelling, Contusions, Stitches, Cracked, Chipped or Lost Teeth, Lacerations, Punctures,Fractures, Loss of Consciousness, or Internal Injuries.
COBA’S RECOMMENDATIONS
1) The First Line of Defense: Pepper Spray. Pepper spray is not some new tool that Correction Officers areasking for at Horizon. In fact, it is the same tool that has been used perhaps thousands of times over theyears at all of the City’s jails to quell an immediate threat caused by inmate on inmate violence or anassault on staff. In fact, there is a good chance you may have watched videos played in the media thatactually show a Correction Officer using his/her pepper spray to break up an inmate assault that couldhave very well resulted in death or a permanent injury. When Correction Officer Souffrant was beaten bya gang of inmates last year and his neck was fractured, the inmates who attacked him continued kickingand beating him even as he lay motionless on the ground. What stopped them and perhaps his potentialdeath? Pepper Spray. COBA is calling on policymakers to end the political gridlock that has delayedCorrection Officers at Horizon from being permitted to carry and utilize this essential tool.
2) The Right Personnel: Correction Officers do not have the proper training that is specific to providing alitany of support services that the adolescent detainee population requires. This is precisely why theRaise the Age law called for their removal from Rikers Island and for them to be provided supervision byJuvenile Counselors. The City and State of New York have not staffed Crossroads with Correction Officersbut instead with the Youth Development Specialists who can provide them with the services and programsthey need. There is no rational reason why the situation at Horizon is so different with Correction Officersoverseeing the supervision of adolescent detainees and acting as a Youth Development Specialist, withonly a fraction of the actual training provided to the Youth Development Specialist. Bring Horizon intoimmediate compliance with the intent of the Raise the Age law by staffing Horizon just as Crossroads isstaffed, with Juvenile Development Specialists, not Correction Officers. COBA is calling on policymakersto advocate for this change in personnel immediately.
3) Enforce the Law with Consequences for Crimes Committed Behind Bars: As indicated in the dataabove, there was a total of 343 incidents during the first 42 days of the opening of Horizon which involved78% of 97 inmates housed in Horizon from September 30, 2018 through November 11, 2018. 87 of theseincidents were Use of Force, 30 of these were Assaults on Staff. All of these incidents have beenthoroughly documented and reported. There is no ambiguity as to whether these assaults constitute acrime. But it is 100% clear that no consequences have been given in response to crimes committed atHorizon. There have been no re-arrests, no infractions, and no disciplinary sanctions to prevent theseindividuals from committing these very same crimes again. A crime is a crime wherever it is committedand to continue to allow assaultive inmates at Horizon to face zero consequences for their crimes is tocondone the absence of law and order. COBA is calling on lawmakers to you to lobby Mayor de Blasioand Governor Cuomo to enforce the laws that every other New Yorker must abide by.
Taken together, these recommendations present a real opportunity for real leadership to prevail. City andState lawmakers can demonstrate true leadership by adopting and endorsing these recommendations andby using their voices to call for Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to do the same. The stakes are toohigh to simply look the other way and allow the violence that has plagued Horizon from day one to continue.
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77-10 21ST AVENUE EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. 1 1370 • T 718.545.COBA (2622) • F. 718.545.2668
CORRECTION OFFICERS’ BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, INC.“PATROLLING THE TOUGHEST PRECINCTS IN NEW YORK”
For more information visit www.cobanyc.org/horizon-report
