PRESS RELEASE
February 10, 2008

Boarding Costs Drop New Proof State Should Postpone Jail Project

A dramatic decrease in the costs for boarding out inmates in 2007 is further proof that New York State should not force Rensselaer County to undertake a $50 million jail expansion project, majority legislators said today.

In 2007, Rensselaer County spent a miniscule $123,900 to house inmates in Albany County. That marks a huge decrease from the $675,300 paid in 2006 to Albany County. The overall cost for boarding out inmates to other counties went down by $600,000 in 2007, to a level of $1.1 million.

The Legislature is expected to consider another resolution to bond a portion of expenses for the state-mandated jail project at the Tuesday, February 12 legislative meeting. Legislators are hopeful the state will agree to delay the project and avoid the enormous expense to county taxpayers.  Unfortunately, the county has little choice in the issue because the state can force counties to undertake mandated construction project and then bill the county, often at a higher rate.

“Those numbers show Rensselaer County is doing an effective job managing our inmate population, and decreasing costs for boarding out inmates. It’s just another example of why the state should postpone the $50 million jail expansion project,” said Legislator Mike Stammel, chair of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee. 

With state mandates reaching unprecedented levels, Republican legislators have sought increased state aid to help cover the cost of the $50 million jail expansion project. With no state aid included in the governor’s proposed 2008-2009 state budget, legislators say the state should consider postponing the costly jail expansion project.

The Legislature is expected to consider another resolution to bond a portion of expenses for the state-mandated jail project at the Tuesday, February 12 legislative meeting. While legislators would like to see the state delay the project, they noted the county has little choice in the issue because the state can force counties to undertake mandated construction project and then bill the county, often at a higher rate.

“We are turning once again to state leaders for help in reining the outrageous expense caused by unfunded state mandates. We believe we have made a very reasonable request to postpone this enormous project and avoid a huge cost to taxpayers,” said Legislator Martin Reid.

Legislators have also said the governor should back away from a plan to close to area medium security prisons. Instead of closing the Hudson and Mt. McGregor medium security prisons, the state could keep the facilities open and allow counties to house any overflows in the inmate population in those facilities.

“It doesn’t seem fair that the state is closing their facilities while they are forcing counties to expand their facilities, all at an enormous cost to county taxpayers. This is just another shift of expenses from the state to local taxpayers,” said Vice Chairman of the Legislature Thomas Walsh Sr., member of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee.

County officials credit effective management of the inmate population, including an Alternatives to Incarceration program, for the significant decrease in costs. Legislators said they believe the 2007 expenses could have been reduced further if the state gave the control more control over aspects of inmate management, including expanding double bunking in the county facility. Reforms on how inmates from other counties arrested on parole violations could also further reduce the population.

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