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| Prison closure opens divide |
| By istockanalyst.com |
| Published: 03/17/2011 |
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It's no secret that there's an upstate-downstate divide in New York politics. That split was on display Wednesday as lawmakers discussed a call by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to downsize the state prison system by 3,500 beds and save $72 million next year. "Today our job will be to tackle the easy issues like the prison closures," Assemblyman Joe Lentol, D-Brooklyn, joked at the start of a conference committee meeting, during which Senate and Assembly members try to reconcile the differences between their budget bills as well as the governor's plan. Cuomo wants to appoint a 16-member panel, including lawmakers, to select which prisons to close. That would happen after the budget is completed, and if the panel can't find enough savings, the commissioner of corrections would make the cuts. Which prisons to close is fraught with political peril, especially for upstate Republicans who see the facilities as a source of jobs and economic stability. Downstate, largely Democratic lawmakers, have a different take, with some saying prisons should be close to the population centers where many inmates reside. Keeping inmates close to home can ease the transition back to society upon their release, prisoner-rights advocates say. "The first judgment has to be the ability of the system to work," said Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, D-Queens. He was responding to calls by Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Seneca Falls, to emphasize the impact that a closure would have on the surrounding community. He also said prisons with more property value, which would bring in more money if they were sold, should go to the front of the closure list. "We're also asking for the value of the property to be considered," Nozzolio said. Cuomo's closure plan includes local impact and jobs among the considerations along with other factors such as the maintenance and utility costs of a given prison and its efficiency. Read More. |
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