GOWANDA, N.Y. — On Tuesday, local and state leaders alongside union representatives gathered outside the Gowanda Correctional Facility, calling on the governor to reverse his decision to close it in 90 days.
2 On Your Side previously reported on the announcement of the closure and you can view that story by clicking here.
The people who spoke out against the decision told reporters the closure will have a negative impact on the community and correctional system, on top of forcing families to uproot and relocate during what's already an extremely difficult time.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the hard-working people that found out four days before Christmas that life as they know it could potentially be changed. Governor, please think about your decision, and we implore you to reverse it," said Gowanda Mayor David Smith.
Two other prisons also face closure, Watertown Correctional and the Clinton Annex.
A spokesperson with the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) told 2 On Your Side since Governor Cuomo took office in 2011, the prison population has declined by more than 22,000.
He added that the current prison population is at its lowest level in more than 30 years.
However, the people who spoke Tuesday said those numbers don't tell the whole story.
"They never tell you about the victims. They never tell you about the assaults that these folks have to deal with on a regular basis," said Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, who represents the 148th Assembly District
The DOCCS spokesperson said the closures will result in an annual savings of approximately $89 million, but those opposed to the decision believe this is one example of a larger trend.
"Closures have been one after another. How many of the jails that have been closed have actually been repurposed? Where is the revenue from all the savings that we're supposed to be sacrificing on our backs that the members put up with, there is none. There's no thank you," said NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President Mark DeBurgomaster.
In a statement, DeBurgomaster added, "The job of a corrections officer has always been a difficult and dangerous one. However, in recent years, the violence inside our prisons has escalated to unprecedented levels. Additional closures will only exacerbate the situation by forcing the existing prison population into a decreasing number of facilities, further jeopardizing the safety of NYSCOPBA members and the inmate population."
Senator Patrick Gallivan, represents the 59th Senate District said in a statement:
“The impact this decision will have on the dedicated men and women who work at the Gowanda facility and their families, especially at this difficult time for so many people, is concerning, as is the impact on the community. My office will work with DOCCS and the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), AFSCME, CSEA and PEF to ensure the best possible outcome for all those affected. I thank all of the hardworking public servants at the Gowanda Correctional Facility for their professionalism under these very difficult circumstances."
We did reach out to DOCCS asking for the data from the review process that shows why Gownada was included on the closure list.
While we didn't receive that, we did get a response saying the fact that Gowanda and Watertown were not originally built as correctional facilities but were repurposed in order to house incarcerated individuals at a time when beds were needed was among the factors considered.
Other factors mentioned by the spokesperson were physical infrastructure, program offerings and specialized medical and mental health services.
A measure that allows the governor to close prisons with 90-days notice was included in the state's 2020-21 budget.