ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — As part of the state budget, lawmakers authorized New York's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to close five prisons. On Thursday, DOCCS announced the closure process will begin immediately at Great Meadow and Sullivan Correctional Facilities.
For both facilities, officials slated November 6 as the final day of operations. According to DOCCS, their careful review of 44 prisons aimed at increasing efficiency and evaluated infrastructure, security, staffing, medical services, how many people were incarcerated at each facility, and the potential impact on local communities.
“These closures are a necessary action in response to the needs of both incarcerated individuals and staff, as most DOCCS prisons are operating well below their respective capacities and DOCCS continues to experience challenges with fully staffing the facilities," said State Sen. Julia Salazar, a Democrat and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Crime and Correction. "The decision to close Great Meadow CF and Sullivan CF is a responsible decision that I fully support.“
DOCCS said that there were 33,419 people incarcerated in New York's correctional facilities as of Thursday, July 18. That's a 54% decline in population since 1999, when they counted 72,773.
Their announcement described the difficult decision of choosing which to close, but that they'll offer all staff new positions elsewhere, and that they don't expect any layoffs. In fact, DOCCS highlighted the fact that the number of prison guards plummeted alongside prison populations. The announcement said, "If we do not see an increase in recruitment, it may be necessary to consider additional closures within the fiscal year."
Even so, as State Senate Majority Leader Rob Ortt said:
"It’s disappointing that DOCCS has decided to move ahead and close two upstate prisons with just over 90 days notice. Our conference stood in opposition to the prison closures included in this year’s budget, particularly with such inadequate notice for the communities and employees.
Prison closures have a ripple effect—they have a negative economic impact on their host communities, a negative impact on staff who must be moved around, and can lead to overcrowding that will further endanger the brave men and women who work in the prisons."
