BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

Senator Dan Stec is calling on his fellow state lawmakers to support legislation that would ensure closed state prisons can be repurposed instead of sitting dormant.

In a recent press release, Stec was critical of the failure to advance prison reuse amendments which would have allowed municipalities affected by prison closures to repurpose the facilities.

“I’ve said for years that the state government must enact a reuse plan for dormant prisons. But I’ve done more than talk about it; I’ve acted. This year, my constitutional amendment that would allow for New York State to sell the closed Camp Gabriels facility passed the state Senate. It’s not the first time my amendment has passed the Senate, however. Since taking office in 2021, the Camp Gabriels amendment has passed each year I’ve been in office," he wrote.

Despite the legislation passing the Senate again, Stec said Assembly members failed to advance the bill.

He noted an "11th hour push from the governor's office" that would lead to a constitutional amendment to allow the sale of three shuttered prisons, however it "failed to surface in either chamber of the legislature."

Stec pointed to Governor Hochul's decision to delay congestion pricing in New York City as a likely reason for the amendment's failure to surface.

According to Stec, it is almost a certainty that the legislature will reconvene this year to address the MTA situation again.

" At that time, the Assembly should do the right thing and pass the Camp Gabriels amendment for the first time. That way, we can move one step closer to finding a new use for the facility that helps it become an economic driver, rather than blight. Or, the Legislature should take up the three-prison amendment the governor’s office has proposed, but not submitted," he said.

Stec said if neither option comes to fruition, "the governor and Assembly Democrat leaders owe the North Country an explanation as to why they refuse to move forward with these or any substantive prison reuse plan.”

Stec's statement comes as the Governor's office has signaled more closures will be announced in the near future.

Ogdensburg Correctional Facility closed in 2022 and remains dormant, a fact that has not sat well with local, state and federal representatives. With the closure of the prison, 268 jobs and $25 million in payroll was lost.

Despite forming a task force aimed at repurposing vacant state facilities, the prison in Ogdensburg shuttered years ago remains closed.

Task force meetings are ongoing in what city officials have called "very productive" meetings.

In an effort to stop the potential closure of Ogdensburg's remains prison, Assemblyman Scott Gray has encouraged state lawmakers to weigh the economic impact the closure of Riverview Correctional of Gouverneur Correctional would have on the region.

Gray also pointed out that the closure of an additional correctional facility, according to multipliers identified in a Cornell University report, would result in the loss of approximately 466 jobs and a staggering $42.6 million in lost payroll.

Considering the dire economic conditions in the county, such losses would be insurmountable, further exacerbating economic distress in the region.

At a recent city council meeting, Ogdensburg Mayor Michael Tooley shared news that a task force has been formed to ensure Gouverneur Correctional Facility and Riverview Correctional Facility aren't targeted by governor Hochul.

"Governor Kathy Hochul has submitted to the State Legislature a FY 2025 Executive Budget proposal seeking authorization to “act expeditiously to right-size and eliminate excess capacity by allowing for the closure of up to five correctional facilities with 90 days’ notice," the resolution says.

Council noted that the city has a history of welcoming prisons to the community at a time when other communities in the state pushed against their presence and pointed out that the facilities have been run in exemplary fashion.

"Our facilities in Ogdensburg and Gouverneur have distinguished themselves for decades with their innovative programing and educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals, safety, and overall efficiency," the resolution says.