New York State will begin downsizing it prison population starting with removing double bunks, according to an Associated Press report last week.
Prison officials said they will begin by removing as many as 2,400 of 7,000 bunks and would remove the top bunks from some of the 3,500 double bunks used in 14 state prisons. As officers retire, resign or transfer from those 14 prisons, inmates will be removed from the top bunks and the general population would be reduced. Population projections by the state say that will have 69,000 inmates by March 2001. This is down from 71,400 in April of this year. The DOC is not speculating on how the inmate reductions will continue past April 2001 or what other downsizing moves might be made