Borrello questions corrections supervisor on prison closure
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State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, is fighting behind the scenes on behalf of the Gowanda Correctional Facility.
In December, the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced the closure of the Gowanda facility and two other prisons in a cost-saving move. The closures are projected to save $89 million, with staff given the opportunity to work in other state-run prison facilities.
Borrello pressed Anthony Annucci, state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision acting commissioner, during legislative budget hearings earlier this week about a FOIL request by the Gowanda Area Redevelopment Corporation regarding the projected savings. That request, Borrello said, is taking longer than it should.
"They've gotten a bit of a runaround," Borrello said. "I understand sometimes a request is made to the wrong agency, but DOCCS did receive a request. You're claiming $89 million in savings for closing these three facilities, so the request was made to see those savings and exactly where those savings are. Somehow they were notified that in order to produce that, it's going to take until sometime between now and April 2. This is a request that went in in January. My question to you is if you made the determination to close these facilities based on savings, then how could that data take three months to procure and deliver to this FOIL request when that should have been what you used to make that determination. Shouldn't you just be able to pretty much instantly turn that over? Why would it take so long to show what savings would be made?"
Annucci said he would look into the FOIL issue and get back to Borrello with an explanation. Annucci then gave a rough explanation of how the $89 million saving figure was compiled.
Operations at the state's 52 correctional facilities were reviewed, with the closure decision based on prison facilities' physical infrastructure, programs, security level, specialized medical and mental health services, other facilities in the area to minimize the impact to staff, potential reuse options and areas of the state where prior closures have occurred in order to minimize the impact to communities.
"Basically the closure is all personnel that ultimately are relocating to other vacant positions throughout the system," Annucci said. "For example, the closures going forward are projected to reduce our overall budget level by 800 positions. So when you factor into that all the costs -- the fuel costs for maintaining a correctional facility, the sewage treatment, all those other costs -- they're complicated. but you come up with a number that basically says this is how you get to $89 (million)."
Borrello said it was his understanding that the heating system in the Collins prison facility is supplied by the Gowanda facility, which makes Borrello wonder how much is saved by closing the Gowanda prison. He also said the infirmary in the Gowanda facility was recently renovated while upgrades to the infirmary are needed at Collins.
"I'm a business person," Borrello said. "You can't just look at one side of the equation. The other side is what is it going to take to maintain that facility or 'mothball' it and still have it there so it can be used to supply heat to the Collins facilities? I'm just curious about what that final number really looks like."
Annucci said he will provide those numbers to Borrello while responding to Borrello's comments about the Collins facility.
"We'll get back to you on that Senator," Annucci said. "We are relocating an infirmary at the Collins facility but I think it may be backwards about where the heat is coming from as well. I'll get a final answer to you on that."