Collins Correctional Facility on lockdown

COLLINS, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is investigating an incident at the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County.

Shortly past noon on Wednesday, Correctional Emergency Response Teams (CERT) — made up of officers from several other prisons across the state — arrived, with some of them double-timing toward the gates after arriving at the Collins prison.

According to a statement provided by the NYCDOCCS, an incarcerated individual was caught attempting to discard contraband, leading to the use of force and the recovery of two cell phones. They said tensions got heated as other inmates in the dorm tried to check on the individual, but that staff and supervisors quickly intervened to try and de-escalate the situation.

Shortly after, three staff members left the dorm areas without incident.

Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III then activated emergency protocols, bringing a negotiation team to help restore order.

Officials say the situation was peacefully resolved. They said one officer suffered a minor injury but returned to duty.

2 On Your Side was told the situation started around 1 a.m. Wednesday in a prison dorm. Two sources have told us that a corrections officer discovered some inmates using synthetic marijuana, and possibly possessing a cell phone.

When the officer attempted to intervene, other inmates resisted, which resulted in injuries to three officers, who then vacated. Prisoners allegedly then took over two dorms and barricaded them.

A regional official with the corrections officers union said recent laws restricting discipline against inmates are in part to blame for this.

“The actions that we see like what happened and what has transpired today is strictly only because they know there’s no penalty and the politicians making the changes they’re making the changes to better the convicts, not to make it safer for the staff that work in there every day,” said Kenny Gold, the NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President.

Gold also said Collins is understaffed and officers are often working double and sometimes triple shifts. He also said the union has recently been informed there may be more staff cuts in the future.

The facility remains on lockdown until officers can do a full facility frisk.