STAFF REPORTNorth Country This Week

GOUVERNEUR – Anthony Constantino, Republican candidate for New York's 21st Congressional District, is calling for New York State to hire more officers and to restore tools to allow officers to keep prisons safe. 

His call comes after corrections officer Wade Carey was injured when he attempted to conduct a pat frisk of an incarcerated individual who was acting aggressively. 

A second individual then grabbed the officer from behind and repeatedly struck him in the face, according to the union.

Carey was evaluated by facility medical staff and later transported to an area hospital. 

According to NYSCOPBA, he sustained broken ribs, broken teeth, a broken nose and facial lacerations. His left eye was swollen shut, and he also suffered other facial injuries.

During a recent visit to Heuvelton, Constantino visited the injured officer at his home.

“Wade is a great guy with a great family,” said Constantino. “He deserved a safe prison environment as do all correction officers and inmates. Our state’s policies are endangering the safety of everyone in our prison system while making it harder for prisons to reform incarcerated individuals.”

Constantino said that changes are needed.

“The media didn’t relay to citizens that Officer Carey is an extraordinarily powerful six-foot-four  individual,” said Constantino. “If this assault could happen to him, then it tells you our prisons are dangerous for everyone including his fellow officers and inmates.”

Although it's not within congresses power to direct changes at the state level, New York State has faced harsh criticism over officer safety at its prisons.

The incident comes more than a year after wildcat strikes were held by corrections officers in 2025 due to what they called dangerous working conditions.

In response to the illegal strikes the state fired thousands of officers. In the wake of that move the state has struggled to replenish ranks.

It also led to the early release of a number of inmates. 

The strikes came on the heels of reports that several corrections officers were exposed to fentanyl and had to be treated with Narcan. 

At the core of the strike was an argument for safer working conditions, with officers demanding body scanners and mail scanners, among other things.

Not long after corrections officers began to call for safer working conditions and a repeal of the HALT act, which limits the use of segregated confinement.

In April three separate homicide investigations were underway, which led to renewed calls to repeal the HALT Act.

Constantino said the latest incident in Gouverneur highlights the need for New York State to bolster its corrections officer numbers.

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