Republicans roast Hochul, Dems over prison closures

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — New York's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced the impending closures of Great Meadow Correctional Facility and Sullivan Correctional Facility. DOCCS gave 110 days' notice and said there are job offers on the table for every current employee.

Democrats—who control the executive and legislative branches with a supermajority—set the agenda for closing the prisons, citing a declining prison population, poor recruitment of new staff, and rising costs to keep the old facilities running. Authorization to close the prison came from the most recent state budget.

That's why Republican legislators from across the state weighed in, excoriating the party and Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose budget greenlit closing the two prisons, nearly 200 miles apart. Here's a rundown of some statements from members of New York's GOP.

"I am calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to reverse her disastrous decision to close correctional facilities across New York State which will impact hundreds of jobs, unravel communities, and overcrowd our remaining prisons making them more dangerous for our law enforcement officers," read a written statement from Congressmember Elise Stefanik, who represents New York's 21st Congressional District in Washington. "Hochul’s careless prison closures abandon our hardworking correctional officers and the communities they work tirelessly to keep safe. Instead of addressing low staffing and retention issues, Hochul has used the opportunity to advance the Far Left Democrats’ agenda of rewarding criminals and punishing the victims of their crimes. This will end in disaster for the Empire State."

“The governor has a funny way of showing she’s from Upstate New York. Closing Great Meadows is a job-killing, community-devastating disaster that flies in the face of real statistics and can only be justified by misleading ones, after forcing inmates into fewer and fewer facilities already suffering from staffing shortages, inmate-on-inmate and inmate-on-staff assaults hit record highs last year. To double down on this failed approach is dangerous for brave correction officers and threatens rehabilitation efforts for the inmates who actually want to turn their lives around," wrote State Sen. Jake Ashby, representing the 43rd Senate District.

"The governor is quick to cite a reduction in the aggregate prison population. That’s a reflection of the collapse of our criminal justice system, her failed policies, and a rogue parole board. When criminals don’t feel like they have to even show up for their arraignment, when cop-killers are released, and when police officers don’t feel like the government supports their efforts to just do their jobs, you’re talking about a crisis, not an accomplishment," Ashby added. "Telling public servants on the front lines of our public safety crisis that they have several weeks to start a new life somewhere else is just insulting. Considering the administration has zero imagination and has never displayed an ounce of ingenuity, I doubt they have a plan to transform the facility into anything that will help our economy or this wounded community.”

According to State Sen. Peter Oberacker, "Governor Hochul’s announcement of the closing of two Upstate prisons is just another disturbing extension of the weak-on-crime policies coming from her and the extreme downstate liberals. If changes need to be made to our correctional system, then it should come with sound planning on how to fix it, adequate notice to all those affected, and a plan to help mitigate any negative economic impact on employees and communities."

"It is also not lost on me that these closings continue to target Republican-held districts across the state," said Oberacker, who represents District 51. "To use the hard-working men and women of our corrections system as pawns in a political game is abhorrent, and Governor Hochul needs to start putting the safety and security of New Yorkers over her own political gain."

"My Republican colleagues and I advocated against this proposal because we knew it would result in an unorganized disaster that would leave hardworking men and women without a job, would displace a prison population to a degree that becomes challenging to manage, and could potentially result in a further rise in dangerousness in upstate communities," said Assemblymember Chris Tague, who represents District 102. "Our state continually stands by while crime runs rampant, and for many correction officers and their families, the lack of support they’ve been feeling up to this point can only be intensified through this impersonal and unprofessional closing procedure. I’m heartbroken for the hardworking New Yorkers who put their lives on the line every day as they work in these facilities keeping communities safe, only to have their government turn around and put them down with these proceedings. This state has the capacity to do better, yet under current leadership, it fails at every opportunity."

“The announcement today by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is troubling, if not surprising. The intention to close Sullivan and Great Meadow further exposes New York Democrats’ commitment to undermine law enforcement any chance they get. The men and women who work in these facilities deserve far better treatment than what they’ve received from New York Democrats. The professionals at the state’s correctional facilities do an incredibly difficult job in extremely dangerous conditions. While prison closures were offered in the 2024 State Budget, specifics were not. Providing these families roughly 90 days’ notice to upend their entire lives is insulting," said Will Barclay. The Assembly Minority Leader, representing Assembly District 120. "Albany’s steady drumbeat of pro-criminal policies–like prison closures and the HALT Act—have led to a dramatic rise in violence within New York’s correctional facilities. This decision will do nothing to reverse that harmful trend."

“I am extremely disappointed by the announcement that Great Meadow Correctional Facility will be closed within 90 days. Time and again, I’ve spoken out against prison closures and the continued dismantling of our criminal justice system. Today’s announcement is just another example of how our state continues to put criminals before law-abiding residents and law enforcement," said State Sen. Dan Stec, whose 45th Senate District includes Great Meadow. “DOCCS and the governor’s office love to tout declining prison population numbers. But that number continues to decline because of lax criminal justice policies and 'reforms.' The state parole board continues to release murderers and other convicted violent felons back into communities and bail reform has ensured that many people who are arrested are able to evade penalty."

“Meanwhile our communities are left with closed, vacant prisons that are slowly turning into blight. But there’s a major human element involved. Great Meadow was home to 650 good-paying jobs for residents in our region. Neighboring Washington Correctional Facility only has 75 jobs available. That means that nearly 600 jobs and families are likely leaving our community. This is a devastating social and economic blow to the area," Stec said. “Instead of closing Great Meadow and letting it fall apart at the expense of taxpayers, the governor’s office needs to do the smart thing and ensure that this facility can serve as a source of economic opportunity for the region.”

“This is an unwise decision by the governor,” said Assemblymember Matt Simpson, representing District 114. “Great Meadow Correctional Facility provides economic stability and support for families all over Washington County. This abrupt announcement and lack of any post-closure plans leaves local economies and the families dependent on this institution facing uncertainty. This decision overlooks the critical role Great Meadow plays in our region and fails to address the serious repercussions its closure will bring.”

"It’s disgraceful that Governor Hochul, as part of her pro-crime platform, is now closing the Sullivan County Correctional Facility with limited notice. This reckless decision not only jeopardizes the livelihoods and safety of corrections officers and staff, but also threatens the economic stability of our community. Prison closures have severe repercussions," said Congressmember Marc Molinaro, representing District 19 in Washington. "They uproot staff, strain remaining facilities, and increase safety risk to workers and inmates due to overcrowding. Not to mention it rarely results in savings. Our community deserves far better than this irresponsible and dangerous policy from Governor Hochul."

Related video: Washington County reacts to Hochul prison closure talks from February 2024