Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 11:09 pm
Time: 11:09 pm
Results for clinton correctional facility
1 results foundAuthor: New York (State). Office of the State Inspector General Title: Investigation of the June 5, 2015 Escape of Inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt from Clinton Correctional Facility Summary: Shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, June 5, 2015, convicted murderers David Sweat and Richard Matt slipped through holes they had cut in the back walls of their cells in the Honor Block at Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Using pipes as hand- and foot-holds, Sweat and Matt descended three tiers through a narrow space behind their cells to the prison's subterranean level. There they navigated a labyrinth of dimly lit tunnels and squeezed through a series of openings in walls and a steam pipe along a route they had prepared over the previous three months. When, at midnight, they emerged from a manhole onto a Village of Dannemora street a block outside the prison wall, Sweat and Matt had accomplished a remarkable feat: the first escape from the high-security section of Clinton in more than 100 years. A correction officer conducting the morning count discovered Sweat's and Matt's empty cells at 5:17 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. An hour later, after the entire prison had been searched, they were declared missing. A manhunt was launched by the New York State Police involving, at times, more than 1,300 officers from local, state, federal, and Canadian law enforcement agencies. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer fatally shot Matt, who was armed, in the Town of Malone on June 26, 2015. Sweat was apprehended on June 28, 2015 when, after failing to comply with an order to halt, he was shot and wounded by a State Police sergeant in the Town of Constable. The escape and three-week manhunt disrupted and brought fear to communities and residents throughout the region. The search for Sweat and Matt cost New York State approximately $23 million in state law enforcement overtime. The costs incurred by federal and local agencies, as well as other states and countries, are not included in this total. New York State spent an additional $573,000 on repairs to the prison and additional security measures. On June 15, while the search for Sweat and Matt was ongoing, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo directed Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott "to conduct a thorough investigation to determine all factors potentially involved in the escape" and "recommend any potential reforms and best practices to prevent future incidents." The Inspector General undertook this task and conducted a thorough investigation, independent of inquiries by any other entity or agency. The investigation found that longstanding, systemic failures in management and oversight by DOCCS enabled two convicted murderers to meticulously orchestrate their escape from a maximum security facility. In addition, security and management failures at Clinton created and perpetuated a culture of complacency and revealed a substantial deviation from acceptable correctional practices. During the pendency of the investigation, DOCCS has cooperated with the Inspector General and has implemented many of the recommended corrective measures. The Inspector General's investigation identified a number of DOCCS employees who committed criminal acts and violated DOCCS directives and policies. The Inspector General has referred these matters to the Clinton County District Attorney's Office, the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics, and DOCCS for appropriate action. DOCCS has taken and will continue to pursue affirmative steps to appropriately discipline employees implicated in the Inspector General's investigation. Many of these employees have resigned or have been terminated. Additionally, DOCCS has been cooperating with the American Correctional Association, which is assessing New York State's prison operations to ensure compliance with national standards. The Inspector General is providing the results of this investigation to the Association to assist with its endeavors. The results of the Inspector General's comprehensive investigation, which was conducted pursuant to Article 4-A of the Executive Law, are described in this report. Details: Albany: Office of the Inspector General, 2016. 154p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: https://ig.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/DOCCS%20Clinton%20Report%20FINAL_1.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://ig.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/DOCCS%20Clinton%20Report%20FINAL_1.pdf Shelf Number: 139523 Keywords: Clinton Correctional FacilityInmate EscapesPrison AdministrationPrison Escapes |