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News
from Assemblyman 123th Assembly District Gary D. Finch
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Legislative Column by Assemblyman Gary D. Finch Week of April 2, 2007
Gov.’s Prison Closure Commission Penalizes Safety The governor has proposed creating a commission to evaluate and close prisons in New York. I believe that the closure of any of New York’s correctional facilities does not reflect the reality that we live in and would have a very negative impact on the safety and security of New York. The proposed structure of the commission lacks any legislative oversight of the recommendations of the commission. This can cause a dangerous situation much like the one we experienced with the Hospital Closures Commission late last year, where the commission’s recommendations were prevented from being brought to the floor for a legislative vote by Assembly Democrats and thereby became law by default. The commission also has a serious flaw in that it excludes representation from our state’s correction officers. In fact, the only public employee on the board would be the Commissioner of Corrections, the governor’s appointee. Correction officers go to work each day not knowing if they will return home from their hazardous work environment. These hard-working men and women put their lives on the line each day to maintain the daily operation and security of our state’s prisons. Considering this, it seems illogical to exclude them from any discussions involving the future of our state’s correctional system, calling into question what the real motivation is behind the commission. What’s more, the closure or consolidation of correction facilities seems flawed because most maximum and medium security prisons – places that hold the most violent convicted criminals in our state – already are overcrowded by 8 to 9 percent. This overcrowding often forces facilities to double-bunk inmates and house populations of violent offenders in even more cramped and stressful facilities. To add to this problem, recently released crime statistics show that violent crime rates across our state are on the rise. If you combine already crowded prisons and rising crime rates, it becomes obvious that closing correctional facilities in New York would be an irrational decision. Prison closures would be harmful to all New Yorkers and that’s why I strongly oppose any commission that has the preconceived mission to close correctional facilities. Doing so ignores growing crime rates in our state, creating a potential long-term problem. Furthermore, it would worsen an already stressful working environment of our correction officers. -30- 04-02-07
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