GROVELAND, N.Y – This week marks one month since a strike that stressed New York state prison staffing ended. During the strike, 2,000 guards were fired for not returning to work.

Jill Folts-Gaylord, a former New York state prison guard, shared her experience after being fired nearly a month ago. She was on a pre-approved vacation and medical leave during the strike.

“I was considered AWOL for one day during the strike,” Folts-Gaylord said. “I was actually out of work on a medical.”

Folts-Gaylord lost her health insurance and is now responsible for her surgery costs. Her surgery was February 25th, but the insurance was backdated to the 19th. “So now I’m on the hook for that surgery,” she said.

She expressed concern about the working conditions for guards who returned. “For my blue family, they walked back in her conditions now that are probably ten times worse than what they were before,” Folts-Gaylord said.

Folts-Gaylord said she is pursuing legal action due to her situation and told News10NBC’s Kristi Blake other fired guards in her situation are too.

The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said they do not comment on specific employee leave or pending litigation but continue to review concerns on a case-by-case basis.

Folts-Gaylord’s daughter, who also worked at Groveland, resigned after feeling unsafe when the National Guard took over operations.

The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision confirmed that more than 2,500 National Guardsmen remain inside New York prisons.

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