News stories tagged with "corrections"

(01/05/12) 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.

(11/08/11) In the 19th century, iron mining was the main operation at the Dannemora Correctional Facility, with three main mines scattered within the structure's walls. The mines provided employment for the convicts and earned the region the nickname, "Little Siberia." Inmates also helped with prison construction and renovations. Coming up on the next Adirondack Attic, Andy Flynn and Adirondack Museum chief curator Laura Rice examine a photo taken during prison construction in the late 1800's.

(07/14/11) New York lawmakers have begun the process of reshaping electoral districts following last year's census. Last week, a redistricting task force announced it would ignore a law requiring prison inmates to be counted at their last known address.

That angered civil rights advocates, who argue home districts deserve credit for the prisoners, for electoral representation as well as state aid and services that depend on population. But the change worries North Country representatives whose districts have long counted prisoners where they're incarcerated.

The law passed in 2010 when Democrats controlled both legislative houses and the governor's mansion. The measure has since been challenged in court by nine Republican state senators. Betty Little of Queensbury is a plaintiff in that lawsuit. She isn't commenting on the suit, but she told Chris Morris the loss to her district would be significant, 9,000 to 10,000 people.

(05/20/11) Gov. Andrew Cuomo says it'll be several weeks before his administration decides which of the state's prisons to close.

The governor has said six prisons could be closed.

That's causing anxiety across the North Country, where state prisons pump tens of millions of dollars into hard-pressed communities. Martha Foley has more. Chris Morris contributed reporting to this story. more

(04/14/11) Gov. Andrew Cuomo and one of New York State's biggest unions have agreed to labor concessions in the first major union contract of the year. The deal includes a pay freeze for three years and other concessions.

Cuomo praised the Agency Law Enforcement Services unit of Council 82 for sharing in the sacrifice of a state fiscal crisis. A union leader says the deal is in the best interest of members and taxpayers. Karen DeWitt has more on the deal the governor calls "a model." more

(04/05/11) Governor Andrew Cuomo is preparing a final list of state correctional facilities that will close this year as part of his austerity spending plan.

That means prison towns here in the North Country are waiting on pins and needles, hoping their facilities aren't on the list.

Once the governor announces his decision, prisons could close within thirty days.

Brian Mann visited Ogdensburg. He found that people there are worried, but hopeful. more

(04/04/11) Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York lawmakers reached a budget agreement that closes a $10 billion deficit without raising taxes. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be cut from education, health care, senior programs, education and funding for state prisons.

Groups around the North Country are still scrambling to understand what the consequences will be in their communities. Tomorrow, Brian Mann reports from Ogdensburg on the impact corrections cutbacks could have on the prisons in this region. This morning, he talked with Martha Foley about the larger picture for the North Country.

(02/02/11) As part of his plan to balance New York's budget over the long term, Governor Cuomo wants to close as many as ten prisons statewide.

He offered to compensate each community that loses a correctional facility with $10 million in redevelopment funds.

As Brian Mann reports, it's still unclear which prisons will close or how the North Country's prison industry could be affected. more

(01/31/11) Tomorrow, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will unveil a plan to cut New York's budget deficit, which now stands at more than $11 billion. Cuomo's spending plan could hit nearly every part of the North Country's economy, from schools to hospitals. He's also considering massive layoffs, with as many as 10,000 jobs on the line statewide.

One state agency that could face the deepest cuts is the Department of Correctional Services. According to the New York Times, between six and ten prisons could be slated for closure. This morning, Brian Mann looks back at the changing debate over prisons and their role as an economic engine here in the North Country. more

(01/07/11) 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. more