Albany, NY, Jan 05, 2012 — Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke only briefly about the state's correctional system during his speech yesterday. Last year, his administration mothballed seven prisons, none of them in the North Country. Cuomo called that an important accomplishment. "We closed 3800 prison beds," he said, "because we finally realized prison operation is not economic development."

But the governor didn't call for any further prisons to be closed. After the speech, state Senator Betty Little of Queensbury said she thinks further prisons closures are off the table for now. That's good news for North Country prison towns from Moriah to Ogdensburg that had faced calls for prison downsizing.