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In its monthly report, DOCCS revealed there are 11,359 correction officers, sergeants and lieutenants, down from 14,095 at the end of 2024.

The main factor contributing to the sharp decline is the firing of 2,000 correction officers in March. DOCCS took that action to end the three-week-long correction officer strike that began in February.

As of May 1, DOCCS reported it employed 10,080 correction officers, down from 12,700 at the end of 2024. The department also lost nearly 100 sergeants, from 1,002 to 906, and 20 lieutenants, from 393 to 373, during that four-month period.

A year before the strike, DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III told state legislators his department had a "staffing crisis." At the time, he said the department had 3,800 vacancies, including 1,900 correction officers.

According to DOCCS, 2018 was the last year the department had an increased number of correction officers. There were 19,295 correction officers, up from 19,242 in 2017.

The state began losing correction officers in 2019, with 223 leaving DOCCS. The losses accelerated during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with DOCCS losing more than 1,000 officers a year since 2021.

The staffing woes were among the concerns raised by correction officers during the three-week strike. With low staffing levels, officers were forced to work 24-hour overtime shifts.

Although some officers resigned during and after the strike, most were fired by DOCCS.

The department is attempting to recruit new officers with the launch of a campaign that includes social media posts and other advertising. The state budget also includes provisions to boost recruitment, such as lowering the minimum age for correction officers from 21 to 18 and lifting residency requirements.

In April, Martuscello announced DOCCS is targeting community colleges and military bases with its recruitment efforts. The department has also established recruitment centers at malls, including Destiny USA in Syracuse, and has regional recruitment initiatives in several counties, such as Cayuga and Seneca.

Martuscello said the number of candidates taking the test to become a correction officer has increased by 82% compared to the last fiscal year. DOCCS has also graduated three correction officer academy classes with 177 new officers. More than 100 recruits are in the academy, he added.

"Change takes time, but together, we will recover," Martuscello said. "We will recruit the next generation of correction officers and we will rebuild this department."