Governor Andrew Cuomo isn’t backing down from his proposal to shut down a trio of state prisons this year.
Cuomo’s office confirmed Tuesday that the plan to expedite the closure of up to three correctional facilities remains a budget priority for the governor, according to The Citizen.
One of the governor’s 30-day budget amendments requested authorization from the state Legislature to close more prisons by Sept. 1. The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, which oversees 54 state prisons, would be tasked with determining which facilities would close.
The proposal hasn’t received a lot of support from state legislators, who are concerned about staffing, overcrowding, and valuable jobs in rural parts of Upstate New York – where some believe the closures would take place.
“Through 13 facility closures over the past eight years, (DOCCS) has successfully developed a comprehensive process for stakeholder engagement, including the facility staff, union representatives, local community members and elected officials,” said Don Kaplan, a spokesman for the governor. “Our proposal would provide DOCCS with the authority to conduct this process, expedite the closures and deliver economic and social justice to New Yorkers.”
Read more about this from The Auburn Citizen.
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