“Earlier today, the governor announced that Moriah Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in Essex County is to close by March 10, 2022. This fast-track prison closure is reprehensible and a slap in the face to the hard-working correctional employees who make this facility operate in such an effective manner.

“I had the opportunity to visit Moriah Shock just recently and their rehabilitative programs are second to none. They were actively trying to help those who were incarcerated by giving them a pathway to a second chance. The programming at this facility reduces recidivism and helps turn offenders into productive members of society. The governor closing this facility is cruel to both staff and inmates; this will only further exacerbate the mass incarceration problem within New York state.

“Inmates from this facility will now be forced into more crowded facilities where we see inmate-on-inmate and inmate-on-staff crimes rising. Correctional officers will now have to spend the holidays deciding if they will be finding a new career or moving their families to the next correctional facility where inmates will be housed.

“I will continue to urge the governor to revisit this decision. I encourage her to visit this facility just like I did; maybe then she will understand the importance of keeping Moriah Shock open.”