New York state prisons will release some inmates early because the system does not have enough corrections officers, weeks after the state fired more than 2,000 guards who went on strike over poor working conditions.

With New York facing a staffing shortage crisis in its prisons, the state’s solution to help ensure an “appropriate balance” between the safety of corrections officers and the public is to release inmates early.

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) said it will be releasing some inmates early due to short staffing levels followi