BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to close more New York State prisons and Ogdensburg officials are joining the fight to ensure it doesn't happen in St. Lawrence County again.

Over the past decade New York State has closed 44 prisons due to declining inmate populations.

St. Lawrence County, which has long relied on the economic engine stemming from government jobs, lost Ogdensburg Correctional Facility in 2022.

The closure of the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility resulted in the loss of 268 jobs and a substantial $25 million payroll, according to Assemblyman Scott Gray.

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

Ogdensburg Mayor Michael Tooley said the task force met once and had a very productive meeting, which led to the resolution presented to council.

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, 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.

Council also pointed out the state's history of leaving vacant facilities off tax rolls without repurposing them. That's been a major problem for Ogdensburg over the years as some state-owned vacant properties sit on prime real estate.

"Due to the recent closure of the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility (2022) and the downsizing of the State-owned St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center Campus there is over 1 million square feet of vacant, and unused New York State owned buildings," the resolution says. "These buildings, left abandoned and unused, provide no economic value to the locality or to the State and, along with an additional six closed state prisons in the North Country, are a clear demonstration of the difficulty repurposing closed state facilities in this region."

While the language in the letter may sound familiar to past efforts made in past efforts to keep state facilities in the area open, Ogdensburg Police Chief Mark Kearns says the Riverview Correctional Facility's Correctional Emergency Response Team plays a crucial role in public safety to the county.

He said the team, which operates in training similar to what people might be familiar with as a SWAT Team, is part of every St. Lawrence County School District's Active Shooter plan.

He said losing them would greatly jeopardize the entire county's ability to respond properly if such incidents were to arise.

The resolution passed unanimously following approved amendments and will be forwarded to the governor and various state lawmakers.