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COBA PRESIDENT BENNY BOSCIO JOINS DAN MANNARINO ON PIX11 MORNING NEWS

NEW YORK — Days after the Correction Officer’s Benevolent Association (COBA) filed a lawsuit against the New York City Department of Correction over “inhumane” working conditions at city jails, COBA President Benny Boscio Jr. spoke with the PIX11 Morning News.

Boscio broke down the details behind the “deplorable” conditions alleged in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit came the same day new D.O.C. Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi unveiled his post-COVID-19 recovery program to improve conditions and address many of the issues cited in the suit.

Boscio said it seems like Schiraldi “wants to help us,” and that his new plan is based around many of the issues COBA brought to his attention.

However, the union chief said Monday the staffing section of the program doesn’t go far enough.

Part of the plan is to hire 400 additional correction officers, but Boscio said he’s called for at least 2,000 new hires.

He said the union also wants a decrease in the amount of inmates in each facility.

Watch his full interview above now.

LETTER FROM BENNY BOSCIO
President

Welcome to the official website of The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA). COBA is the second-largest law enforcement union in the City of New York. Our members are New York City Correction Officers, also known as New York City’s Boldest, who supervise the second-largest municipal jail system in the nation. COBA is committed to advocating for safer working conditions, wage increases, and excellent benefits for all our members.

Our website was designed to provide helpful information on the latest issues impacting our members and their families. You can also find our official union publications, news clips, and learn about upcoming events.

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STATEMENT FROM COBA PRESIDENT BENNY BOSCIO ON THE FEDERAL MONITOR'S SPECIAL REPORT RELEASED ON MAY 26, 2023

“After being appointed nearly 8 yrs ago and receiving some $20 million in consulting fees by NYC taxpayers, the latest Federal Monitor’s biased and one-sided “special report” is no different than the nearly 36 reports that came before it.

If the Monitor is interested in cherry picking data in a two week period, why then does he exclude the brazen assaults on our officers committed by repeat violent offenders in that same period? Or why does he exclude the numbers of inmates whose lives have been saved thanks to Correction Officers? The reality is that the Federal Monitor and his team have strayed very far from their original mission and this new report conveniently excludes key data showing any progress that is being made to combat jail violence, which is largely the result of the dedication and hard work of our officers serving on the frontlines.

These reports now serve only to provide politically-driven talking points for the City Council and the Board of Correction so they can continue to second guess and scapegoat our members, instead of providing oversight over the monitoring team and asking them what have they really accomplished in eight years to make our jails safer? It’s time for the Monitoring team to go!’

Benny Boscio
COBA President