New York Republicans blast Hochul over prison closures

(The Center Square) — New York Republicans are blasting Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to close several state prisons, saying the move will cost jobs and jeopardize public safety in the facilities.

The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced last week that it plans to close Great Meadow Correctional Facility and Sullivan Correctional Facility. The state agency said it is offering jobs to the affected correctional employees and is providing local officials more than three months' notice ahead of the closures.

"The closure process will begin immediately with the facilities closing on November 6, 2024, at the close of business," the agency said in a statement.

Democratic lawmakers approved the closure of five correctional facilities as part of the recently signed state budget, citing a declining prison population, lack of new staff and the rising cost of operating the aging facilities.

But Republicans who largely represent the upstate communities are accusing Hochul and the Democratic-controlled Legislature of playing politics by targeting their districts with the prison closures.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said the closures will "impact hundreds of jobs, unravel communities, and overcrowd our remaining prisons making them more dangerous for our law enforcement officers."

"Instead of addressing low staffing and retention issues, Hochul has used the opportunity to advance the Far Left Democrats' agenda of rewarding criminals and punishing the victims of their crimes," she said in a statement. "This will end in disaster for the Empire State."

Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., whose district encompasses the Sullivan County Correctional Facility, called Hochul's decision to close the prison "dangerous" and said it will have repercussions.

"This reckless decision not only jeopardizes the livelihoods and safety of corrections officers and staff, but also threatens the economic stability of our community," he said in a statement. "Prison closures have severe repercussions. They uproot staff, strain remaining facilities, and increase safety risk to workers and inmates due to overcrowding."

State Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, whose district includes the Great Meadow facility, said the closure will mean more than 600 good-paying correctional jobs will be going elsewhere, which will have a trickle-down effect on the region's economy.

"This is a devastating social and economic blow to the area," he said. "Instead of closing Great Meadow and letting it fall apart at the expense of taxpayers, the governor’s office needs to do the smart thing and ensure that this facility can serve as a source of economic opportunity for the region."

State Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-Schenevus, said the prison closures are part of Hochul's "weak-on-crime policies coming from her and the extreme downstate liberals." He said the plan lacks adequate notice and a "plan to help mitigate any negative economic impact on employees and communities."

“It is also not lost on me that these closings continue to target Republican-held districts across the state," he said. "To use the hard-working men and women of our corrections system as pawns in a political game is abhorrent, and Governor Hochul needs to start putting the safety and security of New Yorkers over her own political gain."