AUBURN (AP) -- Corrections officers say Governor Paterson's plans to close four state prisons would endanger the safety of officers, inmates and the general public, and hurt the economies of the prison towns.
The corrections officers union rallied Thursday in Auburn to protest the proposal to close Butler state prison in Wayne County, Lyon Mountain in Clinton County, Moriah Shock camp in Essex County, and the Ogdensburg prison in St. Lawrence County.
Before closing prisons, union officials said the state should first consider cutting the number of correctional services administrators, eliminate the practice of double-bunking inmates and right-size the inmate populations in every prison.
Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook says the prisons are on the hit list because they're underused.
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