Twenty-Six Gallons of Homemade Alcohol Recovered from Inmates during Searches
For Immediate Release
May 7, 2026
Cape Vincent , NY — During April, staff at the medium security correctional facility conducted multiple random cube and dorm searches, recovering 10 makeshift weapons, several bundles of drug-saturated paper, and 26 gallons of homemade alcohol hidden in inmate cubes.
The seized weapons included sharpened toothbrushes, can lids with handles, weighted socks with combination locks inside, and a ceramic razor. One search alone yielded seven makeshift weapons. The homemade alcohol was also hidden in inmate cubes throughout the dorms.
In addition to the contraband, ten inmate-on-inmate fights occurred in dayrooms, bathrooms, and cubes across several dorms, resulting in multiple inmates sustaining lacerations from cutting-type weapons. Several required treatment at outside hospitals. One officer was injured while responding to an intoxicated inmate lying on the floor in his cube; the inmate kicked the officer in the face as he attempted to apply handcuffs. The officer was treated by facility medical staff and remained on duty.
“As successful as officers were in removing weapons and drugs from inmates, the reality is that, in a short period, they will be replaced with other weapons and drugs. Without a disciplinary system that deters assaults on staff, attacks on other inmates, and possession of dangerous contraband, officers have little means to prevent repeated incidents. The HALT Act is directly responsible for this. It stripped away whatever real disciplinary measures remained in our prisons, and over the past four years we have seen historic levels of violence, drugs, and weapons statewide. The State Legislature needs to recognize what is actually occurring in the prisons and adopt the recommendations of the HALT Committee,” stated Bryan Hluska, Central Region Vice President.