Aug 10, 2011 — Two years after New York State prison officials closed Camp Gabriels, a Mohawk writer and activist wants to reopen the Adirondack facility as an education center and accredited campus with ties to Syracuse University.

Doug George announced last week at a meeting in Ticonderoga that he is working with Native American leaders, state officials and with other educators to develop the program. He hopes to attract students interested in learning about Native culture, language and heritage.

As Brian Mann reports, the proposal has been on the drawing board for more than a year. But key questions remain.  Go to full article

Jan 27, 2011 — The former Camp Gabriels prison north of Saranac Lake has sat empty for more than a year. When the state tried to auction the 92-acre property last year, there were no buyers.

Earlier this month, Brighton town supervisor John Quenell circulated a private letter suggesting that the community might consider taking ownership of the facility.

But at a packed town meeting last night, many local residents said the project would be too expensive. Brian Mann reports.  Go to full article

Jan 07, 2011 — Yesterday we heard that Governor Andrew Cuomo is talking again about downsizing the state's prison industry.

The North Country has eighteen state correctional facilities, which provide thousands of high-paying jobs.

Local leaders say finding new uses for mothballed prisons will be difficult.
The state has struggled for nearly two years to sell the Camp Gabriels prison,
which closed in 2009.

As Brian Mann reports, prisons inside the Adirondack Park are tangled up in legal questions involving the state constitution and the APA's zoning rules.  Go to full article

Mar 31, 2009 — After more than two years of being on the chopping block, a minimum security prison in the Adirondacks is expected to close on July 1 under the budget agreement reached by legislative leaders and Governor Paterson over the weekend. Camp Gabriels, along with Camp Pharsalia in Chenango County and Camp McGregor in Saratoga County, will be closed if the Legislature adopts the proposed $131 billion state budget. State prison officials say the prisons have a declining inmate population and are no longer needed. Chris Knight reports.  Go to full article

Mar 06, 2009 — State Senator Betty Little is making a last-ditch effort to save Camp Gabriels, a minimum security prison near Saranac Lake. She hopes to reinvent the camp as a vocational training and drug rehabilitation center for inmates. State corrections officials say they're still intent on closing Camp Gabriels as early as this summer, a move that would cost more than 130 local jobs. But Little hopes to win support for the prison from Democratic lawmakers who now control the state Senate. As Brian Mann reports, a final decision could come by the end of this month.  Go to full article

Mar 05, 2009 — If the state Senate does vote to reform the Rockefeller drug laws this year, it would cut dramatically the number of inmates behind bars in New York. But state Senator Betty Little is still fighting to save Camp Gabriels, a prison camp near Saranac Lake that employs more than a hundred people. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Jul 23, 2008 — Local leaders working keep the Camp Gabriels prison viable are pushing proposals to add educational opportunities and expand addiction treatment at the prison. The state corrections commissioner was on site to hear how the minimum security prison could tap into community resources. Jacob Resneck reports.  Go to full article

Jan 16, 2008 — Union officials representing corrections officers at the Camp Gabriels prison in Franklin County say they'll hold a rally next Thursday in an effort to keep the facility open. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article