Post by CC on Apr 15, 2009 16:26:53 GMT -5
State Corrections Department mulling cuts
By Evan White
Published: 04/14/2009
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Cuts will be coming to prisons statewide soon and a number of those may involved Mohawk Valley correctional facilities though officials aren't saying how many today.
Last week Governor David Paterson announced that 2,012 proposed cuts to correctional services statewide would be necessary in efforts to save the state money.
Shortly thereafter, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) blasted the governor's proposal. According to NYSCOPBA, laying off these workers would harm public safety for prisons that are operating at 104% capacity.
The Department of Corrections says that statistic is misleading as it was based on a federal figures that don't take into account New York's true prison capacity.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Erick Kriss says New York has roughly 67,000 beds and fewer than 60,000 inmates. NYSCOPBA did not return several phone calls seeking comment for this story but last week said it expects more specifics regarding proposed cuts today.
By Evan White
Published: 04/14/2009
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Cuts will be coming to prisons statewide soon and a number of those may involved Mohawk Valley correctional facilities though officials aren't saying how many today.
Last week Governor David Paterson announced that 2,012 proposed cuts to correctional services statewide would be necessary in efforts to save the state money.
Shortly thereafter, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) blasted the governor's proposal. According to NYSCOPBA, laying off these workers would harm public safety for prisons that are operating at 104% capacity.
The Department of Corrections says that statistic is misleading as it was based on a federal figures that don't take into account New York's true prison capacity.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Erick Kriss says New York has roughly 67,000 beds and fewer than 60,000 inmates. NYSCOPBA did not return several phone calls seeking comment for this story but last week said it expects more specifics regarding proposed cuts today.