An inmate at the Auburn Correctional Facility was found dead in his cell early Saturday morning, adding more tension to an already chaotic situation in New York’s prison system.
Jonathon Grant, 61, was pronounced dead at 8:32 a.m., according to Thomas Mailey, spokesperson for the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Security and medical staff at the prison, along with a member of the National Guard, tried to save Grant’s life, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The cause of his death is still under investigation.
Grant had been in prison since 2011, serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary. Originally from Brooklyn, he had spent more than a decade behind bars.
His death comes at a time when New York’s prison system is already facing serious upheaval. Just weeks earlier, ten prison employees were indicted following the fatal beating of an inmate, Robert L. Brooks, at a prison near Utica. Six of those employees are facing murder charges.
On top of that, many corrections officers have been on an illegal strike for the past week, despite a judge’s order demanding they return to work. Thousands of National Guard members have been sent to prisons across the state, including Auburn, to help cover the staffing shortages.
The striking officers have voiced their frustrations, saying they’re being forced to work excessive overtime because of staffing problems. Earlier this month, union leaders issued a vote of “no confidence” in the state’s corrections commissioner.
One of the main demands of the striking officers is the rollback of the HALT Act, a law that limits the use of solitary confinement in prisons. They argue the act has made their jobs more dangerous.
In hopes of resolving the situation, Long Island-based mediator Martin Scheinman is scheduled to meet with corrections officials and union leaders on Monday. Scheinman is known for settling tough labor disputes, including the 2005 strike by New York City transit workers.
As the prison system grapples with these challenges, the investigation into Jonathon Grant’s death will likely add even more pressure to an already strained environment.
