Union official criticizes naming of Sposato as Nassau corrections chief
The guard tower of the Nassau County Jail in East Meadow, NY, March 2, 2012. Credit: NEWSDAY/Ed Betz
The leader of Nassau's correction officers union on Wednesday criticized Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's decision to hire Michael Sposato as commissioner of corrections and called on the county to repair the "ignored" and "understaffed" department.
During remarks to county legislators, Brian Sullivan, the Correction Officers Benevolent Association president, said Sposato's appointment in September was misguided.
In his second speech to legislators in three weeks, Sullivan further detailed a rift between correction officers and management that legislators examined during a four-hour public hearing on Wednesday.
Several administration officials attended the hearing at the legislature's chambers in Mineola, but Sposato, who served as county sheriff from 2008 until 2018, did not.
"Mike Sposato’s previous tenure as Sheriff here was marked by acrimony and draconian cuts to this facility, leaving a gutted department, a demoralized workforce and the infrastructure of this facility visibly decaying into the ground," Sullivan said.
Sullivan called on the county to fill vacant correction officer positions and repair physical conditions at the jail, including the roof, which he said have been deteriorating for years. He said he also worried about officers' exposure to fentanyl and other dangers on the job.
A jail inmate died of an apparent overdose on Nov. 23, according to Blakeman. Police are still investigating the death.
County officials defended themselves against the union's claims of mismanagement and promised to fund infrastructure improvements in the coming weeks and to hire more officers. The Blakeman administration has characterized the conflict as a dispute over pay.
Sposato, Blakeman has said, is there in part to reduce growing overtime costs.
Acting Sheriff Anthony LaRocca, whom Blakeman appointed to the position on Sept. 6, told legislators: "I would never sacrifice the safety and security of our correctional center." He said the county has tried to hire more employees to keep pace with officer retirements, and is expected to add more to the department's ranks.
"We will achieve our goals in the near future that I believe will satisfy all the concerns that have been brought to our attention," LaRocca told legislators.
The hearing got contentious at several points.
Asked why Sposato did not attend the hearing, Tatum Fox, deputy county executive for public safety, said: "Because he's not the sheriff."
Later Fox answered: "He was not on the agenda."
Fox also stressed about Sposato, "he's not in power."
Under questioning about overtime, LaRocca asked for patience from Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove).
"It's only been three months. And it's a lot to take in. It's baptism by fire. It's not a simple job, trust me," LaRocca said.
Sposato's critics have recalled the former sheriff's tumultuous tenure under then-Republican County Executive Edward Mangano, and questioned why Blakeman brought him back. Democratic County Executive Laura Curran fired Sposato upon taking office in 2018.
Sposato has contributed $22,200 to Republican candidates or committees this year. He gave $10,000 to the Nassau Republican Committee in September and $400 to Blakeman in May.
In 2011, Sposato played a key role in hiring Armor Correctional Health Services, a Miami for-profit company, to be the jail's medical provider in a bid to save the county more than $7 million annually.
Nassau cut ties with Armor in 2017 after a wave of inmate deaths at the jail and state reports that faulted the quality of care Armor had provided.
The New York State Commission of Correction said Armor provided inadequate health care to at least eight of 14 Nassau inmates who died after the company's contract began in 2011.
Sposato defended Armor Correctional Health Services to the commission in three of five cases in which the state criticized the company after investigating the inmate deaths, state records show.
Sullivan said he was not convinced that Sposato was there to solve an excessive overtime issue.
"I've not been able to get an accurate number to justify going back over five years in this depleted and demoralized department to bring back the man who created most of these issues in the first place," Sullivan said.
Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.
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