Inmates take over: What happened at Riverview?
OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) - Dormitories at Riverview Correctional Facility just outside of Ogdensburg were under inmate control for several hours early Thursday after staff felt conditions were unsafe, while the state says COs vacated their posts leaving the dorms unsupervised.
After speaking with several sources, including corrections officers who were inside at the time, 7NEWS has learned that the as many as 500 inmates were housed in 10 dormitories at Riverview. Dormitories are housing areas where several inmates live. CO’s say there were around 15-20 staff members on the overnight shift.
Around midnight Thursday morning, tensions escalated between inmates and corrections officers. Prison staff decided conditions were unsafe and pulled staff back into a visitors area. There, CO’s could hear inmates breaking glass and damaging the dormitories and so the staff left the visitors area and entered the administrative area of the prison where they felt safe. At this point, local staff called for help including CERTs (Corrections Emergency Response Teams.) At least 2 teams arrived from Gouverneur and Albany.
The facility was back fully under state control by 7 or 8 o’clock Thursday morning.
“Last night, with everything that happened during the night, it was very scary. I couldn’t imagine being in their shoes in there. 25 years in corrections, things have changed in corrections,” said retired corrections officer John Robla.
Here’s our early reporting: https://www.wwnytv.com/2025/02/20/heavy-emergency-response-riverview-correctional/
DOCCS, the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, tells 7NEWS in a statement: “Today marks day four of the illegal strike staged by correction officers in 36 of DOCCS facilities. Last night, an incident occurred at Riverview Correctional Facility in which staff vacated their posts leaving the dorms unsupervised. In response, the Albany Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT), along with the Riverview CERT Team —including several members who stepped off the picket line, DOCCS Office of Special Investigations and the NY State Police —have intervened to restore order and ensure the safety of all individuals inside. Their efforts were instrumental in regaining control of the facility and preventing further escalation. The safety and security of our staff, incarcerated individuals, and the broader community remain our top priority.”
NYS Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, the workers’ union, tells 7NEWS it’s aware of what happened overnight. It says, “after midnight inmates took over several dorms at Riverview after they became unruly and the officers assigned to the dorm felt their safety was at risk and exited the dorms. Sometime late this morning the dorms were under control and restaffed.”
The National Guard was also called in, though local CO’s are critical of its response. We’re learning more by asking questions to Albany.
This comes after days of demonstrations and strikes by CO’s highlighting staffing shortages https://www.wwnytv.com/2025/02/18/prison-strikes-ogdensburg-gouverneur/
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