New York State’s corrections department is struggling to keep striking officers on the job, as it grapples with the fallout from two high-profile inmate deaths and reports of violence at the hands of its own workers.

A wildcat strike by New York state prison guards has stretched into a third week, prompting officials to start firing workers for failing to abide by a deal to end the illegal labor action.

The news comes two weeks after murder charges were announced over the death of Robert Brooks, who was beaten by guards at the nearby Marcy Correctional Facility.