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NYS to close 6 correctional facilities including 1 in Rochester and another in Seneca County

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New York state is closing six correctional facilities, including one in Rochester and another in Seneca County.

A statement put out on Monday by the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervisionsaid that it is closing the Rochester Correctional Facility, which is a minimum security work release facility on Ford Street, as well as the Willard Drug Treatment Campus, a medium security facility in Seneca County.

Officials note that the state budget approved by the legislature this year authorized the Governor to close state prisons as the incarcerated population continues to decline and as a fiscally prudent and safe way to save taxpayer dollars.

Corrections officials said that as of November 8, the total incarcerated population in state correctional facilities is 31,469. They said that this represents both a total reduction in excess of 12,700 individuals since January 1, 2020, and the lowest total incarcerated population in New York State prisons since 1984.

As of March 10, 2022, facilities that will close include: Ogdensburg Correctional Facility, Moriah Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility, Willard Drug Treatment Campus, Southport Correctional Facility, Downstate Correctional Facility and the Rochester Correctional Facility.

The state says it was able to absorb the incarcerated population into vacant beds available at other institutions and relocate drug treatment campus functions to Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in Chautauqua County.

The Rochester facility has a current staff of 26 with 46 individuals who are currently incarcerated. That work release program will be moved to Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.

State corrections officials say that they do not anticipate any layoffs due to the various closures.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.