By Joan Gralla
Reuters
NEW YORK — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday chose the seven prisons that will be shut down to save $184 million, a contentious issue because the upstate area values these facilities for the jobs they create.
All but two of the prisons are located in the upstate region, which has never fully recovered from the loss of manufacturing jobs over the last few decades.
New York City, the state’s economic engine, will lose two prisons — one in Staten Island and one in the Bronx.
The Democratic New York governor’s plan to consolidate the prison system mirrors efforts by other governors around the nation to save taxpayer dollars by streamlining agencies.
Full Story: New York state shuts 7 prisons in budget crunch