[ national ] [ NEW YORK STATE ] [ texas ] [ california ]

NEW YORK STATE

[Click HERE to download PDF of NYS Jail expansion map]

Since 1995, at least thirty-six of New York’s fifty-eight upstate counties have built or are constructing or considering new  jails. As the state’s crime rate and prison population drops, local jail populations are experiencing unprecedented growth. From mid-year 1995 to mid-year 2004 the New York State prison population decreased from 68,335 to 64,778, a decline of more than 5%.  During the same time period, the population housed in New York State county jails increased from 13,853 to 16,079 – an increase of close to 16% of the population. [Click HERE to download a fact sheet on jail expansion in New York State]

Some of the factors driving up New York’s jail populations are similar to those affecting jail populations throughout the country : increased arrest rates for low level crimes,  particularly in poor neighborhoods where many residents fail to meet bail, increased detention of non-citizen immigrants in county facilities; and a rising number of mentally ill persons formerly residing in mental health facilities. 

But counties in New York also must contend with the State Commission of Corrections (SCOC), a small state agency, controlled by three Commissioners appointed by the Governor, which oversees prison and jail conditions in the state of New York.  While historically the SCOC has focused on issues such as training correctional officers, regulating the items of clothing received by inmates and overseeing conditions of confinement, in the last nine years the agency has emphasized another mission: mandating construction of new jails or expansion of existing facilities to a timetable and size set by the state.

Some counties have spent taxpayer funds to study the problems leading to jail overcrowding and concluded that programs supervising non-violent offenders in the community; intensive case-management of populations like the mentally ill, and reforms of bail and arrest practices would reduce or eliminate the need for new construction.  However, county officials who have challenged the state’s ‘build or else’ conclusions have found that ‘variances’ regularly granted them by SCOC over the years have been abruptly withdrawn, forcing shipment and housing of their inmates elsewhere, while other counties have been threatened with litigation.  For many local communities, these new jails represent the largest capital projects in county history, with significant impact on county debt, local taxes, and funds available for schools, healthcare and housing.

Some of the counties currently undergoing or contemplating jail expansion in New York State include: 

Ulster County: A new 500-bed jail currently stands near completed, close to two years behind schedule, and more than 20% over the initially projected costs. County lawmakers wondering whether they will be able to fill the massive new jail are looking to other counties, the state, and the federal government to provide inmates to make up the difference, while some estimates of the ultimate cost of the project range from $125 to $150 million, including debt service. 

Tompkins County:  When lawmakers in Tompkins County determined that they might need to expand their existing jail to a 105 bed facility, the State Commission of Corrections mandated that they expand to 135.  Frustrated by the cost of such an expansion and the fact that the SCOC would not contribute, Tompkins County opted to pursue a path of reform instead.  In October 2004, the Tompkins County Legislature determined that it would be less costly to accept SCOC sanctions than to build an over-size jail, and voted against any new construction.  They are currently implementing a series of reform measures to reduce the number of people in their existing jail. 

Suffolk County:  The largest capital construction project in the history of Suffolk County – a projected $215 million, 1,150-bed jail – has met with stiff opposition from a broad array of residents, organizations and a few local officials. County legislators say that the state has left them with no choice but to begin building in 2006, despite plans offered by the Probation Department to decrease the population of a current jail.  The exact size of the facility remains subject to great debate.

[back to top]