Get the Facts: New York has closed nearly 30 prisons since 2009. How much has it saved the state?
Updated: 1:54 AM EDT Mar 11, 2026
On Wednesday, Bare Hill Correctional facility, a medium security state prison in Malone, officially closed. It is the 28th prison closure in New York State since 2009. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) conducted a review of 42 state prisons in 2025 under the enacted state budget, which allowed for the closure of three state prisons. DOCCS said the decision to close Bare Hill was based on staffing levels, bed capacity and its proximity to other nearby prisons, including Franklin Correctional Facility and Upstate Correctional Facility, which are each within two miles of Bare Hill. Staffing Levels293 staff members who are employed at Bare Hill Correctional Facility will be offered roles at other nearby facilities. According to DOCCS, the prison had roughly 650 vacant positions in 2025. It follows the firing of about 2,000 correctional staff who conducted an illegal strike in February and March of that year. According to state-level data, some of the highest vacancy rates reported in 2025 were at Bare Hill and Upstate. Prison PopulationDOCCS data also shows that the number of incarcerated individuals has significantly declined over the last 25 years in New York State. According to DOCCS spokesperson Thomas Mailey, the incarcerated population has declined nearly 55 percent since 1999. “The State’s prison population decline is driven by a long-term drop in crime, major drug law reforms, reduction in parole revocations, and policies supporting diversion programs,” Mailey said.The state also saw a sharp decline between March 2020 and March 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimated Cost SavingsSince 2011, the state estimates there has been roughly $492 million in savings due to prison closures. However, costs vary by correctional facility. Mailey told NBC5 the average cost of running Bare Hill Correctional Facility over the past three years was nearly $44 million. New York State Prisons are not privately owned, and the local towns and cities that house them do not typically receive direct payments for housing them. However, community members in Malone have raised concerns about a potential decline in local economic activity from the loss of jobs at Bare Hill. What’s next for Bare Hill?In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the NY-RUSH program, which included funding to redevelop vacant state sites into housing. In 2025, $16 million was made available to transform a shuttered prison in Watertown. In her 2026 state of the state address, Hochul also announced plans to redevelop vacant sites in the Adirondacks, like Moriah Shock and Camp Gabriels — which would require a constitutional amendment. Bare Hill, however, will be kept in “a state of ready” in the event it is needed in the future, according to Mailey.
MALONE, N.Y. —
On Wednesday, Bare Hill Correctional facility, a medium security state prison in Malone, officially closed. It is the 28th prison closure in New York State since 2009.
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) conducted a review of 42 state prisons in 2025 under the enacted state budget, which allowed for the closure of three state prisons. DOCCS said the decision to close Bare Hill was based on staffing levels, bed capacity and its proximity to other nearby prisons, including Franklin Correctional Facility and Upstate Correctional Facility, which are each within two miles of Bare Hill.
Staffing Levels
293 staff members who are employed at Bare Hill Correctional Facility will be offered roles at other nearby facilities. According to DOCCS, the prison had roughly 650 vacant positions in 2025.
It follows the firing of about 2,000 correctional staff who conducted an illegal strike in February and March of that year. According to state-level data, some of the highest vacancy rates reported in 2025 were at Bare Hill and Upstate.
Prison Population
DOCCS data also shows that the number of incarcerated individuals has significantly declined over the last 25 years in New York State. According to DOCCS spokesperson Thomas Mailey, the incarcerated population has declined nearly 55 percent since 1999.
“The State’s prison population decline is driven by a long-term drop in crime, major drug law reforms, reduction in parole revocations, and policies supporting diversion programs,” Mailey said.
The state also saw a sharp decline between March 2020 and March 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Estimated Cost Savings
Since 2011, the state estimates there has been roughly $492 million in savings due to prison closures. However, costs vary by correctional facility. Mailey told NBC5 the average cost of running Bare Hill Correctional Facility over the past three years was nearly $44 million.
New York State Prisons are not privately owned, and the local towns and cities that house them do not typically receive direct payments for housing them. However, community members in Malone have raised concerns about a potential decline in local economic activity from the loss of jobs at Bare Hill.
What’s next for Bare Hill?
In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the NY-RUSH program, which included funding to redevelop vacant state sites into housing. In 2025, $16 million was made available to transform a shuttered prison in Watertown.
In her 2026 state of the state address, Hochul also announced plans to redevelop vacant sites in the Adirondacks, like Moriah Shock and Camp Gabriels — which would require a constitutional amendment. Bare Hill, however, will be kept in “a state of ready” in the event it is needed in the future, according to Mailey.