WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Could a jail closure in New York City be an answer to saving Ogdensburg Correctional Facility? State Senator Patty Ritchie thinks so.
Rikers Island, city’s jail complex, is slated to shut its doors in 2027. The plan is to build four smaller jails in New York City to house inmates.
But, Senator Ritchie penned a letter to the city’s mayor-elect, Eric Adams, to pitch a different idea.
She says the population of about 500 inmates from Rikers could be relocated to Ogdensburg.
“This is something that could be a win-win for New York City, could be a win-win for my area, and the state taxpayers just invested $10 million into this facility at OCF, so it’s a win for the taxpayers, too. My ask right now is for us all to work together to make this happen, to help New York City to help St. Lawrence County and the Ogdensburg community. You know, there’s still time to save the jobs at OCF. There’s still time to do the right thing for people that have worked there for this community. This is a win-win for everyone. We just need someone to take a moment, push the pause button, take it seriously and do the right thing for everyone involved,” said Ritchie (R. – 48th District).
7 News reached out Tuesday to the state Department of Corrections to see if it has a comment on Ritchie’s idea, but we haven’t heard back.
Copyright 2021 WWNY. All rights reserved.
