Communities Rally to Save Their Way of Life

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More than 1,000 rally to keep prison open

PONTIAC, Ill. - Despite intermittent pouring rain, more than 1,000 people insisted on showing their support for keeping Pontiac Correctional Center open.

Pontiac Mayor Scott McCoy estimates that from 1,500 to 2,000 people showed Saturday for a "Save Pontiac Prison" photograph.

Everyone wore a navy blue shirt as they milled around the Livingston County Courthouse.

The photograph and a previous parade were part of an effort to convince Gov. Rod Blagojevich to keep the prison open. The governor has proposed closing the prison and moving inmates to a now-unused prison in Thomson was a way to save money.


Chicago Tribune

Prison Closings Trouble Upstate New York

In upstate New York, the rural counties that crowd the Canadian border have been known as "Little Siberia" for decades — because of the harsh winters there and because prisons are a big part of the local economy.

On a recent frigid morning, Saranac Lake's Winter Carnival parade winds down Main Street. There are dancing clowns and fire trucks and National Guardsmen home from Iraq.

And there in the middle of the parade is a float carrying a giant banner that reads "Save Camp Gabriels."

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"We can't lose this — this is more than just dollars! This is life. This is our heritage," she said.

It turns out that declining inmate populations are terrible news in northern New York, where prisons are viewed with roughly the same loyalty and fondness as factories or farms.

NPR

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1. 2 state lawmakers rally to save Pontiac prison

Sens. Christine Radogno and Dan Rutherford kickoff tour of state prisons

Weeks after blocking a move to close a major section of Stateville Correctional Center, some lawmakers now are rallying to save the aging Pontiac prison in rural Livingston County.

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"There's been a lot of talk about closing prisons and that wreaks havoc on local communities," said Radogno, who was among a group of lawmakers who earlier this year blocked the state's plan to shut the maximum security wing of Stateville . "Our planning now is in response to prison closures and not a long-term planning of the correctional system."

After trying unsuccessfully to close three prisons including Pontiac in 2004, Blagojevich in February said he intended to close the maximum security wing of Stateville to save an estimated $30 million in next year's budget.

Critics questioned the estimated savings and argued that the shutdown would have forced the loss or transfer of more than 400 jobs and dealt an economic blow to Will County. The state subsequently backed off the plans to close the Stateville wing and has turned its attention to the 130-year-old Pontiac prison.

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Radogno introduced a bill calling for a moratorium on prison closures and establishing a panel to examine how the system is run and where resources are spent, and to set up a plan for the future.

Chicago Tribune

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2. Nevada State Prison closure could have wide spread impact

If the Nevada State Prison is closed, 200 employees of Nevada's oldest continuously operated prison will have to find other work.

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"We are very concerned about our staff and their families. This prison has been a constant in Carson City since the 1800s and families after families have worked there and it's been their careers," Smith said. "It's out of our control until we find out at the end of the special session. If needed, we will target Nevada State Prison for closure," he said.

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Prison employees, he said, are people who often purchase cars, groceries and furniture in local dealerships and stores.

"The only way to recoup that kind of loss is to build and grow the economy in Northern Nevada," he said. "When you lose an established company, it's devastating."

Nevada Appeal

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3. MI: Manistique feels prison closure

The city is waiting for the state's feasibility study for help.

MANISTIQUE -- It's been eight months since Camp Manistique Prison was closed, and the City of Manistique is beginning to feel the effects after losing one of its biggest employers.

The state promised to help the city through their feasibility study which will offer alternative uses for the prison. However, the results aren't expected until the end of the year, and many believe that's not soon enough; as the city is already losing $120,000 per year from its budget.

"They were one of our biggest water users. We're going to probably have to raise water rates to make up the difference in the budget to have a balanced budget," states Manistique Mayor David Peterson.

MI: WLUC TV6

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4. Can New York Break Its Incarceration Habit?

It’s an experiment that has arguably run its course.

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Among policymakers and experienced corrections officials, there is a palpable sense of optimism that the political will exists to tackle the issue of mass imprisonment.

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Even conservative states like Kansas and Texas are beginning to embrace prison reform, with legislators from both sides of the aisle coming together to make change.

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For New Yorkers this shift in attitude poses a number of questions. How will the state respond? Will it close the prisons that now play such a major role in the upstate economy? And, if the state does realize savings on prisons, how could that money best be used to further reduce crime?

Gotham Gazette