Dear COBA Member,

As many of you have seen and heard, the last 24 hours has had some crazy developments here at the Correctional Center. Yesterday afternoon, I was notified by the County Executive that Corrections Commissioner Corsini had abruptly submitted his resignation and it was accepted by the County. He will now be returning to his civil service title of Lieutenant.



Obviously, this took me by surprise, as only a couple of weeks ago, I was assured by the County Executive’s Office that they didn’t foresee any changes here at the jail in the near future. However, we are not privileged to the decision-making process that occurs behind closed doors between the County Executive and his staff.

My first concern was who Commissioner Corsini’s successor would be and I was told everything is fluid and they would get back to me, but that former Sheriff Michael Sposato was being looked at. I immediately explained that months earlier when rumors were flying about his return, the County Executive himself, assured me that Mike Sposato will never be back at the jail in any capacity whatsoever.

I also reiterated the multitude of reasons why this appointment would be one that would cause an extreme amount of stress and an undue burden on a staff that is currently undermanned, overworked and underappreciated. Furthermore, despite all these conditions, our members continue to hold the facility together, even while being pushed to their breaking point. I explained that going back to the “old failed playbook” after we have worked together so hard to change the culture at the Sheriff’s Department, is a direct slap in the face of every Officer here.

It is very unfortunate that we find ourselves back in this situation, however, we will never allow anyone to derail the efforts this Union will take to protect our membership.

The safety and employment rights of our Officers are paramount. We will do everything in our power to defend those rights and to demand that our Department is led by a corrections professional with the highest integrity and a proven track record in supporting the dedicated men and women who serve in our ranks.

I will continue to keep you posted with any developments concerning this situation.

Furthermore, I have called a Special Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday, May 13^th, comprised of the COBA Executive Board and all Delegates in order to further address this recent development.

Sincerely,

Pete Lilli

President