Albany, NY, May 17, 2010 — A group that wants to close more state prisons in New York held rallies over the weekend. "Drop the Rock" is a group that worked successfully to repeal the Rockefeller drug laws. Lead organizer Robert Gangi said in a statement that declining crime rates and inmate populations mean more correctional facilities should close.

Rallies were held in New York City, Albany and the town of Hudson, but not in the North Country where prisons in Lyon Mountain and Moriah are threatened with closure. Upstate elected representatives -- including state senators Darrel Aubertine and Betty Little -- say closing prisons would cripple rural economies that have come to rely on high-paying jobs.