Former WNY inmate turned counselor weighs in on strikes
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As correction officers remain on strike across New York State, it's also important to understand the impact inside of prisons.
WIVB News 4 spoke with Chris Harzynski, a former inmate at various facilities in Western New York for seven years. He is now the president of Creative Restorations, Inc., working at times with The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to help turn the lives of prisoners around.
Having experienced both sides of this issue, he provided us with his perspective and experience about what goes on behind prison walls.
With thousands of correction officers on strike and the National Guard called into action, loved ones are concerned for those on both sides of the bars.
It’s a situation Harzynski saw coming years ago.
“When you have such a volatile operation of a system the way it is, I think that leads to all of that. Nothing happens in a vacuum,” said Harzynski.
Harzynski said correction officers are in a bad spot, short-staffed and working long hours. He said they would sometimes take that frustration out on inmates.
“I've seen individuals assaulted, both correction officers and inmates. They don't have the tools necessary to de-escalate situations as it relates to those emotions or feelings behind having to be at the prison for such a long time,” said Harzynski.
Harzynski spoke about punishment -- 15 days of solitary confinement in accordance with the HALT Act. Correction officers want the HALT Act removed, believing that is not a big enough penalty when you're talking about a person who violently attacks fellow inmates or guards.
“If you take away long-term lock," said Harzynski, "which is solitary confinement, how can you hold them accountable? You can still have solitary confinement. You just must tweak the way that it's run, give individuals more books, allow them a little bit more time under the cage that's outside of their cell for outside recreation, maybe allow them to speak to their family more than once a month or whatever the case may be. There are things that you can implement that make the solitary confinement a little bit more humane.”
Harzynski said there is a stigma when it comes to inmates' bad choices and having to serve time, but that doesn't mean they should be treated less than human.
He told News 4 he's personally seen prisoners being physically attacked by guards in areas where there are no cameras, and being starved for minor offenses -- adding the public hears "prisoner attacks guard stories" but never gets the context.
“You always have to be cognizant of what's the triggering source there," said Harzynski. "What happened, what took place, what was the incident that pushed an individual over that precipice? Was it an operational issue? Was it a behavioral issue, a mental health crisis?”
Harzynski's solution to stop prison violence and punishment: A full schedule with only two hours of free time a day.
“You need to be able to get these individuals into programs that are adequate, that are efficient, and that are pushing the mission statement of the Department of Corrections, which is rehabilitation and family reunification,” said Harzynski.
Going back to correction officers and their demands, Harzynski said if the state knew there was a budget shortfall and they would lose 2,000 staff, the federal government should be stepping up to help not only guards but also those they watch over.
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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.