The New York Times has an article on Joseph Ponte, New York City's new Corrections Comissioner, who will try to reform Riker's Island jail. He's up against Norman Seabrook, president of New York's correction officer union and one of the most powerful union leaders in the state. If the article portrayed Mr. Seabrook fairly, Mr. Ponte will have his work cut out for him.
The Prison Reformer vs. Rikers Island
Private sector unions are bad. But public sector unions are worse because
(1) There is no competition (as between private firms) that circumscribe their power and
(2) They interfere with the ability of the citizenry to control their own public institutions--vital state institutions like police and prisons.
From the article:
The Prison Reformer vs. Rikers Island
Private sector unions are bad. But public sector unions are worse because
(1) There is no competition (as between private firms) that circumscribe their power and
(2) They interfere with the ability of the citizenry to control their own public institutions--vital state institutions like police and prisons.
From the article:
Last year, some Rikers inmates who completed a lengthy therapy program were given pizza by the mental health staff. It angered correction officers, who saw it as a case of coddling criminals.
Mr. Seabrook showed up for a shift change, when guards are lined up for inspection. He led his members into a commissary and though the wardens tried to get them back in formation, they refused.
For those present, it sent a message about who controls the cellblocks.
“You want to eat pizza, stay home,” Mr. Seabrook said during an interview. “You want to have Carvel, stay home. You want to do a timeout, stay home. Corrections officers are not babysitters.
“You push me,” he said. “I push back.”
This kind of union power is an affront to democracy. Mr. Seabrook: you are an employee of the people of New York. If they want you to feed their prisoners an ice cream sundae, you ask, "vanilla or strawberry?"
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