Collins, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York State's Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that part of Collins Correctional Facility will close March 31st, 2026, the end of the state's fiscal year.
DOCCS said the decision to close a portion of Collins was made in an effort to "more efficiently deploy staff and manage the facility."
Below is part of DOCCS' explanation for the prison's "consolidation":
"The decision to close any facility is difficult for all involved. Across the country, correctional agencies continue to struggle to meet staffing demands, and the Department is no exception despite new and aggressive recruitment efforts. The closure of one facility and consolidation of Collins Correctional Facility will help ensure the safe and efficient operation of the system, utilizing staff more effectively while operating programs in a safe manner. This decision was decisively made to minimize the effect on staff, and at the same time attempt to close the gap on staffing shortages in our correctional facilities."
The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) has condemned the decision, which also includes the complete shuttering of Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone, N.Y., saying "These closures will only deepen the crisis of violence, chronic understaffing, and unsustainable working conditions that already plague New York’s prison system."
Collins Correctional Facility was ground zero for the statewide "wildcat" strike among prison guards that began in February of 2025 and lasted nearly a month.
New York State Senator Rob Ortt (R) is also speaking out against the closures.
"After firing 2,000 dedicated, hardworking correction officers earlier this year, Governor Hochul is only further exacerbating the dangerous staffing crisis in our prisons by closing and downsizing more facilities right before the holidays," Ortt said.
"Closing prisons is exactly the wrong thing to do. New York’s hardworking, courageous corrections officers deserve our respect, and should not be used as political pawns."
There's a total of 33,782 people incarcerated in New York's prison system.