Assemblyman Walczyk criticizes proposal to raise pay for inmates

WATERTOWN, NY —  Assemblyman Mark C. Walczyk, R-Watertown, released the following statement on Wednesday Aug. 28, 2019:

“This is just another slap in the face to taxpayers across New York who are already facing stagnant wages and rising costs of living. Individuals who are incarcerated are in prison to pay a debt to society, not give them the chance to increase their personal budgets.

I think it would be more effective for the Governor to take the funds that he wants to give to inmates and use them to place drug dogs in mail rooms and waiting rooms in every Correctional Facility across New York. This would go a long way in cracking down on drugs that get smuggled to inmates. Safety for inmates and Corrections Officers should come first and has support on both sides of the aisle.

Instead of enabling convicted felons to have drugs in prison and paying them while they’re high, we should focus our efforts on eliminating drugs from our facilities.

I’ve personally spoken to superintendents of correctional facilities across the Front Yard of America, and the message is clear: drug dogs work.”