The wife of a correctional officer in New York was not able to get her chemo treatment for a rare terminal illness last week after Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul terminated the health insurance coverage for thousands of officers and their dependents over the ongoing strike.
Hochul has terminated health care for thousands of officers and sergeants so far, though, notably, the Attica Correctional Facility officer whose wife needs chemo was out on family and medical leave (FMLA) to take care of his family following the diagnosis, News10NBC’s Jennifer Lewke reported.
“I get IV infusion therapy in the home a couple of days a month, I also have to get chemo, I’m also on several different daily medications,” the woman, only going by Rachel, said.
News10NBC noted that other officers who were off on pre-approved leave said their health insurance was terminated, too. The Daily Wire has heard from numerous officers who are on strike and have indicated that they can’t afford to lose their health care for various reasons, including pregnancy.
Officers have said at the outset of the strike that they want a repeal of the Democrat-backed HALT Act, which took effect in 2022. They also don’t want to work mandated shifts that are sometimes 72 hours long, which they say increases safety risks.
A source, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, told The Daily Wire that the strike is “not about the money,” but about how the “liberal agenda has destroyed our justice system.” They said the HALT Act has made it basically impossible for officers to discipline routine problems inside prisons, putting safety at risk for everyone, including inmates.
Hochul, however, has acted increasingly hostile toward officers. Last week, she started firing officers and terminating health insurance coverage for officers and their dependents retroactively, meaning they’re on the hook for covering health care costs since the strike started, which was February 17.
The governor has also threatened to arrest officers, and said she’s started proceedings to do just that for hundreds already.
“They created very unsafe circumstances,” Hochul claimed on Tuesday. “We warned them day after day after day that you’re gonna lose your healthcare, the health care is gone; that people are gonna be arrested, you could be going to jail. You’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your income, you’ve lost everything.”
The governor has mobilized 7,000 national guard members, with thousands currently working in the prisons. Numerous national guard members have leaked photos to the press of the cramped and squalid conditions they’ve been subjected to.
Additionally, controversy is starting to brew as the number of deaths inside these prisons start to rack up. Since the strike started, at least seven people have died; one death has been deemed a suicide and at least one other is under investigation.
Related: EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Footage Reveals How Violent NY Prisons Have Become Since Dems Passed HALT Act
