Lawmakers split as budget would allow governor to close up to five New York prisons

Members of the joint budget subcommittee on public protection debated the governor's proposal to authorize closing up to five state correctional facilities on an accelerated timeline, with lawmakers sharply divided over the move's effect on staff, incarcerated people and county jails.

The dispute focused on whether closure and consolidation would improve efficiency and safety or exacerbate existing staffing and security problems. Subcommittee co-chairs—Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz and State Senator Zellnor Myrie—presided over the discussion but did not put the proposal to a formal vote during the hearing.

Subcommittee member Palmisano said the plan to close five prisons "especially in 90 days, that's an insult and and a slap in the face," arguing closures would hurt morale and complicate recruitment and retention. Palmisano added that county jails currently house hundreds of state-ready incarcerated individuals awaiting placement in state facilities and warned closing prisons would reduce available space.

State Senator Julia Salazar, chair of the Crime Victims and Corrections Committee, said she supports the governor's authorization to close up to five facilities on a shorter timeline than normally permitted by statute. "It is important that facilities be adequately staffed and that they are able to operate efficiently, and that is the motivation behind closing facilities in order to consolidate," Salazar said. She also cited a long-term decline in the statewide incarcerated population and said New York currently has a higher-than-average ratio of correction officers to incarcerated individuals compared with other states.

Salazar and other speakers raised the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, noting the law has not been fully implemented. "We know from the inspector general's report ... that the HALT Solitary Confinement Act has actually not been fully implemented," Salazar said, adding that fuller implementation would serve the safety of staff and incarcerated people.

Opposing the expedited closure authority, State Senator Tom O'Mara said the proposal followed public attention to dangerous working conditions and a correction officers' strike and described the inclusion of closures in the governor's 30-day amendments as "vindictive." "I certainly oppose that," O'Mara said, adding that inmate populations are currently increasing and that the budget does not address facility conditions.

Speakers also raised operational and safety statistics while debating the proposal. Subcommittee member Palmisano cited increases he characterized as tied to restrictive policy changes: "Incarcerated assaults on staff has increased 76%. Incarcerated assaults on incarcerated has increased a 69%, and contraband ... has increased 32% over that time." Those figures were presented by the speaker during the hearing and attributed in this article to the speaker.

No formal action was taken during the meeting. Co-chairs said staff and members would continue to work through the budget issues with the goal of producing a final agreement in conference. The subcommittee will consider corrections funding and related policy proposals as part of that ongoing work.