NEW YORK — The Department of Correction was in the hot seat Monday during a City Council hearing over how the COVID-19 response was handled in jails.
During the hearing, the department patted itself on the back for its pandemic management, but the head of the union representing New York City’s correction officers accused the DOC of doing too little, too late.
Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio Jr. spoke with the PIX11 Morning News just a day after testifying at the hearing.
Boscio said 576 inmates and 1,430 correction officers tested positive for COVID-19. That’s nearly three times the number of officers than inmates.
He said eight of his officers lost their lives to the virus.
DOC Commissioner Cynthia Brann testified Monday that her agency acted quickly to sanitize jails and provide PPE for officers and inmates
However, the COBA president claimed he had to sue the DOC in order to get that PPE.
Watch PIX11’s interview with Boscio above, and head here to watch the full NYC City Council hearing.
