Correctional Association of New York Releases Post-Visit Report on Washington Correctional Facility
Allegations of Officer Abuse, Reduced Operations Due to Staffing Shortages Headline Report
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Brooklyn, NY - The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) has released a Post Visit Briefing report on Washington Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison for men located in Washington County, NY. The report details findings from interviews with incarcerated individuals, analysis of administrative data, meetings with staff, and observations made by CANY during a monitoring visit in March 2024. Washington Correctional Facility is co-located with Great Meadow Correctional Facility, which closed in 2024.
Key findings include:
Staff Interactions: A majority of incarcerated individuals reported abuse by staff, with 73% of incarcerated individuals interviewed reporting witnessing or experiencing verbal, physical, or sexual abuse, and 58% reporting racialized abuse.
Staffing Shortages: The facility had a 21% vacancy rate in January 2024, which resulted in high rates of mandatory overtime and reduced operations, such as limited access to recreation for incarcerated individuals.
Medical Attention: 62% of people in general population units reported adequate medical care, a higher rate than at other medium-security prisons. However, numerous incarcerated individuals expressed alarm about aggressive staff responses to medical emergencies, including reports of being assaulted by staff either on the way to the infirmary or while in medical examination rooms.
Programs: Many incarcerated people reported positive experiences with vocational (e.g., welding, custodial maintenance) and academic programs. The facility administration expressed concern about low rates of attendance.
Food: A lower proportion (75%) compared to other medium-security prisons reported receiving three adequately portioned daily meals, citing concerns about quality and portion sizes.
Commissary and Packages: Only 30% of people reported the commissary being “adequately stocked,” with many concerned about item shortages and high prices. People also reported long delays receiving packages; only 32% of people reported receiving packages in a timely manner.
Grievances: Grievance filing rates were lower than other medium-security prisons. No individuals interviewed reported that they felt the grievance process was fair.
“We were troubled by the issues identified during our monitoring visit to Washington Correctional Facility, including pervasive allegations of violence and abuse by staff, challenges accessing basic services like recreation and packages, and concerns about a failing grievance system,” CANY Executive Director Jennifer Scaife said. “Recent policy reforms, including the systemwide implementation of body cameras, represent an important step forward, but more needs to be done to address systemic issues that allow abuses to occur.”
The full report is available on CANY's website at:
About CANY
CANY, under §146, of New York’s Correction Law, is charged with visiting and examining the state's correctional facilities to identify and report on prison conditions, the treatment of incarcerated individuals, and the administration of policy promulgated by the executive and legislature. Founded in 1844 by concerned citizens of the state and deputized by the state to provide monitoring and oversight of the state’s prisons in 1846, CANY is one of the first organizations in the country prescribed to administer civilian oversight of prisons.
