By Natasha Holdridge
The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. — A number of local and state officials are speaking out against the recent announcement that two state correctional facilities will be closing in 90 days, Great Meadow Correctional in Washington County and Sullivan Correctional in Sullivan County.
The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced the two closures Thursday. According to DOCCS, the upcoming closures come after a carefully conducted review of the operations at the state’s 44 correctional facilities to determine which locations to close.
The review was based on a number of factors such as diminishing populations, physical infrastructure, program offerings and whether individuals can be relocated to other institutions.
“The closure process will begin immediately with the facilities closing on November 6, 2024, at the close of business,” a statement from DOCCS read.
The state’s 2024-2025 enacted budget authorized the closure of up to five state correctional facilities.
DOCCS reported that all staff will be offered positions at other facilities and that the Department will be able to safely absorb the incarcerated population into vacant beds available at other institutions. According to the DOCCS announcement, no layoffs are anticipated.
A number of state and local officials have spoken out against the closures and what they could potentially mean for those areas of the state.
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D- Glens Falls, spoke with the Post Star Friday and said that these closures do not give local families who are employed by the facilities an adequate amount of time.
“I understand the fiscal realities and the staffing realities that are driving these decisions,” Woerner said. “But, I have to say, that 90 days is not a long time for the staff people and their families to figure out what is their next best place of employment, and what they want to do.”
Woerner said she spoke with a corrections officer Thursday night who was not told about the upcoming closure, but instead found out about it on the news. She said she is very disappointed in the way that this was handled and how it was communicated to the people will be affected by the closure.
RELATED: The 2024-25 New York state budget agreement allowed Gov. Kathy Hochul to expedite the closure of up to five prisons. On July 18, the DOCCS announced two prisons would close.
“I can’t think of a worse way to be notified that your job is ending than through the news,” Woerner said. “It’s just such bad management and so disrespectful of officers and staff who have devoted their lives to a career working for the state.”
Woerner said she believes Great Meadow is Washington County’s largest employer, which means the closure will severely negatively impact the local economy, and cause local families to leave the area. She said its been shown before that its extremely difficult to repurpose a vacant correctional facility.
Woerner has reached out to DOCCS to discuss the closure. She said she has a meeting scheduled with them on Monday because she wants to find out what can be done to help the families and individuals impacted by the closure, and to help ensure they get the closest possible transfer assignments.
“The county economy is impacted by this,” Woerner said. “I think all of us who represent Washington County care about what impact this is going to have on the overall county finances and the economy in Washington County .”
State Sen. Dan Stec, R- Queensbury, believes that the communities are now going to be left with vacant and closed prisons, which slowly turn to blight. He said that Great Meadow had about 650 jobs for residents in this region, and that nearby in Washington County, he said their correctional facility has 75 jobs available. Stec believes this will force hundreds of families to leave the community
“DOCCS and the governor’s office love to tout declining prison population numbers,” Stec said in a statement Thursday. “But that number continues to decline because of lax criminal justice policies and ‘reforms.’ The state parole board continues to release murderers and other convicted violent felons back into communities and bail reform has ensured that many people who are arrested are able to evade penalty.”
The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association issued a press release Thursday morning about the closures.
“NYSCOPBA stands firm in its opposition to any prison closures, viewing them as a temporary fix that fails to address the root cause of the staffing crisis across the state,” the NYSCOPBA release stated.
Great Meadow Correctional Facility ( Washington County ) has a current staff of 559, with 480 incarcerated individuals and a capacity of 1,595 DOCCS reported. Sullivan Correctional Facility ( Sullivan County ), has a current staff of 371, with 426 incarcerated individuals and a capacity of 560.
“I’m absolutely shocked,” Granville Mayor Paul Labas said. “I’m angered, I can’t even explain to you how angered I am right now. This governor and her progressive terms have gone way too far.”
The closure is going to displace a lot of workers and impact probably close to 700 families that are in the community, he added.
The prison in Comstock, New York, is roughly equidistant from Fort Ann, Whitehall and Granville. People who live in those areas also work at the prison.
Labas said he has been hearing from local residents since the announcement about the closure was made Thursday morning, July 18.
“They are very upset, they’re very nervous, they’re mad.” Labas said. “I talked to Matt Simpson’s office everybody is in shock over this.”
In a statement Assemblyman Matt Simpson, a Republican in the Lake George area, expressed his dismay at Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to close the Great Meadow Correctional Facility.
“This is an unwise decision by the governor,” Simpson said in the statement Thursday. " Great Meadow Correctional Facility provides economic stability and support for families all over Washington County. This abrupt announcement and lack of any post-closure plans leaves local economies and the families dependent on this institution facing uncertainty. This decision overlooks the critical role Great Meadow plays in our region and fails to address the serious repercussions its closure will bring.”
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