Teamsters Local 264: Sheriff Deputies Sue Erie County

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Oct 13, 2011, 10:13 ET

County Refuses to Fund Safe Staffing Levels in Jails

BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sheriff deputies represented by Teamsters Local 264 have filed a lawsuit to force Erie County Executive Chris Collins to comply with a New York state corrections law requiring the county to provide sufficient resources to safely staff the county's jail system.

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The lawsuit, filed October 12 in New York State Supreme Court, comes on the heels of a recent settlement agreement the county with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to improve prisoner care and custody inside the county's jail system.

"We fully support Sheriff Timothy Howard and DOJ's efforts to address the deterioration of the county's jails," said Mary Holl, President of Teamsters Local 264. "But these reforms won't mean a thing if the jails continue to be dangerously understaffed. The sheriff has made numerous requests to the County Executive's office to address the staffing issue. Unfortunately, Mr. Collins has refused to deal with the dangerous shortages, leaving us with no alternative but to go to court."

The state's standards and regulations require that local correctional facilities employ a minimum number of people necessary to provide care, custody and control for all prisoners and to perform all other necessary facility functions. "In no case, shall the number of such persons be less than the minimum facility staffing requirement as determined by the State Commission of Correction," according to the Minimum Standards and Regulations for Management of County Jails and Penitentiaries.

"Best estimates show the holding center is short by 40 sheriff's deputies," said Robert Reden, a founding partner with Reden & O'Donnell, the law firm handling the lawsuit. "That means the county's jails are understaffed by approximately 12 percent on any given day."

"The shortage is causing taxpayers to foot the bill for enormous amounts of forced overtime. Some of our deputies are being forced to work 16 hours straight, up to four or five days a week," said Deputy Rick Carr. "We understand that forced shifts are part of the job, but the extreme personnel shortage is taking a toll on working conditions and presents potential safety issues for officers, inmates and the public."

A copy of the lawsuit is available at: http://www.teamsters264.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=221039

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information.

SOURCE Teamsters Local 264