As New York prison strike enters week 2, inmate dies at impacted facility

Feb 25

Kalé Carey Anchor

By Kalé Carey (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Shianne DeLeon (Video Editor)

As an illegal strike across dozens of New York prisons enters its second week, officials announced a 61-year-old inmate at one of the impacted facilities died over the weekend. The death occurred at Auburn Correctional Facility, one of the prisons where U.S. National Guard troops are deployed, replacing corrections officers who walked off of the job in an unauthorized strike.
The inmate, identified as Jonathan Grant, was serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary.
Officials said they found Grant dead in his cell on Saturday and began unsuccessful lifesaving measures.

Full Story

As an illegal strike across dozens of New York prisons enters its second week, officials announced a 61-year-old inmate at one of the impacted facilities died over the weekend. The death occurred at Auburn Correctional Facility, where U.S. National Guard troops are deployed.

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

The troops replaced corrections officers who walked off of the job in an unauthorized strike.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

The inmate, identified as Jonathan Grant, was serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary.

Officials said they found Grant dead in his cell on Saturday, Feb. 22, and began unsuccessful lifesaving measures.

Grant’s cause of death remains under investigation.

Did staffing play a factor in the death?

It’s unclear if the prison’s staffing situation factored into Grant’s death, but the public defender’s office, which gave counsel to Grant, raised concerns about a lack of access to medical care, medication and prescriptions for inmates.

As Straight Arrow News previously reported, the work stoppage has resulted in significant disruptions across more than 40 state prisons. This means missed meals, delayed medical care and suspended visitations within the prison.

Why are workers striking at New York state prisons?

Guards at the prisons began striking during the week of Feb. 17, which the Union representing the workers said it did not authorize.

Hundreds of corrections officers demanded better pay, security measures and a rollback of prison reforms, including limits on the use of solitary confinement, as well as addressing staffing shortages.

Why is New York’s prison system under intense scrutiny?

The strike comes as New York’s prison system faces criticism following the death of Robert Brooks in December 2024.

Brooks, an inmate in New York’s Marcy Correctional Facility, died after corrections officers beat him.

Body camera video released in January 2025 showed officers kicking and punching Brooks while handcuffed.

The state arraigned the six guards involved in the beating, and they now face charges of murder.

Tags: Kathy Hochul, National Guard, New York, Police, Police officers, Police violence, Prison, Prisoners, Strike, Workers Rights

[KALE CAREY]

AS AN ILLEGAL STRIKE ACROSS DOZENS OF NEW YORK PRISONS ENTERS ITS SECOND WEEK, OFFICIALS SAY A 61-YEAR-OLD INMATE AT ONE OF THE IMPACTED FACILITIES DIED OVER THE WEEKEND.

THE DEATH OCCURRED AT AUBURN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, WHERE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ARE DEPLOYED, REPLACING CORRECTIONS OFFICERS WHO WALKED OFF OF THE JOB IN AN UNAUTHORIZED STRIKE.

THE INMATE, IDENTIFIED AS JONATHAN GRANT, WAS SERVING A 34-TO-40 YEAR SENTENCE FOR RAPE AND BURGLARY.

OFFICIALS FOUND GRANT DEAD IN HIS CELL SATURDAY AND BEGAN UNSUCCESSFUL LIFESAVING MEASURES.

GRANT’S CAUSE OF DEATH IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

IT’S UNCLEAR IF THE PRISON’S STAFFING CRISIS FACTORED INTO GRANT’S DEATH BUT THE PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE, WHICH GAVE LEGAL COUNSEL TO GRANT, RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT A LACK OF ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE, MEDICATION AND PRESCRIPTIONS FOR INMATES.

AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, THE WORK STOPPAGE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTIONS ACROSS MORE THAN 40 STATE PRISONS.

INCLUDING MISSED MEALS, DELAYED MEDICAL CARE, AND SUSPENDED VISITATIONS.

GUARDS AT THE PRISONS BEGAN STRIKING A WEEK AGO, WHICH THE UNION REPRESENTING THE WORKERS SAYS IT DID NOT AUTHORIZE.

HUNDREDS OF CORRECTIONS OFFICERS ARE DEMANDING BETTER PAY, SECURITY MEASURES AND A ROLLBACK OF PRISON REFORMS, INCLUDING LIMITS ON THE USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, AS WELL AS ADDRESSING STAFFING SHORTAGES.

THE STRIKE COMES AS NEW YORK’S PRISON SYSTEM FACES CRITICISM FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF ROBERT BROOKS IN DECEMBER.

BROOKS WHO AS AN INMATE IN NEW YORK’S MARCY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, DIED AFTER BEING BEATEN BY CORRECTIONS OFFICERS.

BODY CAMERA VIDEO WAS RELEASED LAST MONTH, SHOWING OFFICERS KICKING AND PUNCHING BROOKS WHILE HE WAS HANDCUFFED.

THE SIX GUARDS INVOLVED IN THE BEATING OF BROOKS WERE ARRAIGNED AND NOW FACE CHARGES OF MURDER.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KALE CAREY.