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NY: Establishing the prison closure advisory task force

By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)

Published on Governor (http://www.governor.ny.gov) No. 7 ESTABLISHING THE PRISON CLOSURE ADVISORY TASK FORCE Created 2011-02-09 17:48 WHEREAS, the crime rate in New York State has dropped dramatically over the past decade and alternatives to incarceration have helped direct individuals convicted of many non-violent crimes into programs outside of conventional, traditional correctional facilities; WHEREAS, as a result, the State prison population has declined by more than 20 percent over the last eleven years, but only five small facilities have been closed; WHEREAS, the cost of maintaining the resulting empty, unused prison capacity in New York State has forced New York State to redirect resources away from many other budgetary priorities into facility maintenance that no longer serves the safety needs of New Yorkers; WHEREAS, New York State now faces serious financial challenges in achieving a balanced budget in the 2011-12 State Fiscal Year so that its current fiscal constraints necessitate specific reductions in spending; WHEREAS, the budget for the 2011-12 State Fiscal Year, to be in balance, requires the elimination of excess prison capacity and the closure of minimum and medium security correctional facilities that can be closed without compromising the safety of inmates and employees; and WHEREAS, the closure of correctional facilities is a matter of great concern to both the affected communities and their representatives in the Legislature; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Andrew M...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog on February 15, 2011 (boomark / email).