Saratoga Standard

Senator Dan Stec has reached out to Governor Hochul, urging action on the contraband issue within correctional facilities. This initiative follows his visit to Upstate Correctional Facility, where he engaged with the superintendent and staff affected by recent synthetic drug exposure incidents that resulted in nearly two dozen personnel falling ill.

In his letter to the governor, Stec identifies key methods through which contraband is introduced into these facilities and suggests two potential solutions. The first solution involves his proposed legislation (Senate bill S.4422), which aims to make body scanners mandatory for all individuals entering correctional facilities. Currently, both inmates and visitors have the option to decline passing through a body scanner. The second proposal calls for changes in the state's approved vendor process.

Stec stated, "The recent incidents at Upstate showed significant gaps in how the state manages the safety of COs and civilian staff." He emphasized that contraband poses risks not only to corrections officers and civilian employees but also to incarcerated individuals themselves.

"I wrote to the governor in order to share what I learned directly from the COs and civilian staff at Upstate and to propose meaningful solutions to address contraband in our prison system," Stec added. "Given the severity of the events at Upstate, action on this cannot wait."