“...Nobody in the prisons were furloughed.”
Not exactly true. The only civilian activity that was not cut was medical, maintenance and food service. Of course COs were not affected, naturally. All teachers, vocational instructors, most counselors, SORCS, ORCS, clergy, and at least half the clerical staff, and most corecraft people were gone. With pay. While those of us left had to show up for work each day and use our vacation or sick time if we missed any time. The Hill felt like a ghost town for about three months.
Where do you work? I started at Auburn in 1980, and moved back to the Utica/Rome area 3 years later when they took over Marcy Psychiatric Center and turned it into Mid-State C.F. Then I transferred across the street to the cookie cutter prison Marcy C.F. in '88. Made Sergeant there in '89. Transferred back over to Mid-State around '91 Got back into Tier I in 2000 when Carl McCall's legislation was passed, and retired in 2003 with about 33 years in.