One More Small Victory! Three Prisons to Close in New York!!

THREE NEW YORK STATE PRISONS CLOSING

On Friday, January 11, 2008, Governor Spitzer announced plans to close Camp Pharsalia, Gabriels and Mc Gregor, along with medium-security Hudson in January 2009. Citing the role of Alternative to Incarceration in reducing crime and the number of people being incarcerated in NYS over the past few years, the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy (DRCPP), along with other criminal justice advocates, have long been advocating for prison closings, reentry services and the expansion of Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI).

JoAnne Page, President and CEO of the Fortune Society said, “The prison closings announced last Friday present a real opportunity for New York to make some smart investments in programs that really work. Long recognized as a national leader in the use of ATI programs, New York must now increase their use and expand them to include parole violators who do not pose a risk to public safety.

The Fortune Society estimates that for every $10,000 we invest in ATI programs, we save the State $30,000 in yearly incarceration costs.” In spite of the reduction in crime, the number of people being sent to prison, and the clear cost-savings associated with this measure, some groups continue to oppose the closing of prisons in NYS for economic reasons. To learn more, go to Empire State News

(courtesy of ICARE)