Correction officers from around New York state rallied in Albany Tuesday as strikes continued into their third week at dozens of prisons.

They're calling for action from the state Legislature, including a repeal of the HALT Act. 

State officials on Monday began terminating striking officers for reaching the benchmark of 11 missed shifts while "thousands" saw health care coverage disappear later in the day if they didn't return to work.

The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and the New York State Correction Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), the union representing the correction officers, reached a consent agreement through a third-party mediator late last week. Some facilities have had staff return, but more than 30 remain on strike after officers continue to protest what they describe as dangerous working conditions, excessive overtime and issues related to HALT.

Emotions ran high as another rally took place inside the Capitol, with advocates who support HALT and Democratic lawmakers pushing prison reform initiatives they are hoping to pass this year.

“They want to lock people up indefinitely, 23 hours a day, without programing,” said Assemblymember Anna Kelles.

Perched above striking officers on the east front of the state Capitol, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt fired back.

“They have been more concerned with the mental health of inmates than your mental health,” he told them.

The correction officers gathered as the state continues terminating jobs and health insurance. 

“They’re bullying us, they’re harassing us and they don’t want to listen to us,” said Nick Wiwsianyk, who has worked for the Department of Corrections for 18 years. 

Democratic lawmakers continue to make clear that they aren’t on board with significant legislative changes to the HALT Act’s limits on solitary confinement, a key demand of the striking workers. A proposed deal offered changes to programming aspects of HALT for 90 days with the opportunity for further suspension when staffing levels fall below certain levels.

“HALT is not working and it needs to be taken care of, and those people who are all for HALT should stop sitting behind their desks and behind closed doors and come and work an eight-hour shift,” he said.

Two floors up, Gov. Kathy Hochul doubled down, addressing the protesters outside that could be heard through the window.

“This is a wild, illegal, unauthorized strike,” she said. “All the screaming and yelling here will have no effect on me. I know what I have to do, and they should be getting back to work. There are serious consequences. We have warned them day after day after day, you will lose your health care. You will be arrested, you could be going to jail. You’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your income, you’ve lost everything."

Hochul also added that the prolonged strike is putting the safety of inmates at risk. DOCCS said on Monday that seven inmate deaths have been reported across the state since the strike began, and one at Mid-State Correctional has spurred an investigation by the state attorney general’s office and 11 staff members being placed on administrative leave.

“When 15,000 people walk off their jobs, turn the key and leave people alone, that creates a dangerous situation," Hochul said.

When it comes to changes to the HALT Act, Hochul on Monday refused to call for action, leaving it up to state lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly as they compile their one-house budget rebuttals. Instead several joined advocates at the other rally and refused to consider a HALT repeal or further changes.

As Hochul announced 15 staff members have been placed on administrative leave following the death of an incarcerated man at Mid-State Correctional Facility, Kelles defended HALT and suggested that promoting bills like the Earned Time Act could replace the incentive officers say has been lost by limiting solitary confinement.

“We don’t always have to support the stick. The carrot is who we are in our hearts, who we can be, what we should believe in and what we need to force government to pass,” she said.

Outside, Marc Pepin, a retired lieutenant with the Department of Corrections, disagreed.

“Discipline is very important in any venue, be it a prison, be it your home. You have to have authority to control behavior,” he said. “I can tell you firsthand that we control behavior and protect inmates from other inmates. It’s very important to be able to secure somebody whose behavior is inappropriate."

Hochul said the state is still trying to ramp up its recruitment efforts for correctional facilities.