MALONE, N.Y. — Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Franklin County officially closes its doors today, March 11, 2026, ending operations at a 1,400-bed prison roughly 350 miles north of New York City and continuing the steady shrinkage of New York’s state prison system.
The closure, announced by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) in November 2025, follows a comprehensive review of New York’s 42 correctional facilities authorized by the 2025-26 state budget, which permits the closure of up to three facilities. Bare Hill is the first to shut down under that authority.
600 Empty Beds Drove the Decision
At the time of the closure announcement, roughly 600 of Bare Hill’s 1,400 beds sat empty — a vacancy rate of more than 40 percent that officials said made continued operation financially unjustifiable. New York’s total prison population has dropped by more than 40 percent over the past decade, driven by sentencing reforms, declining crime rates, and expanded alternatives to incarceration.
All 293 staff members at Bare Hill have been offered positions at other state facilities, including Upstate Correctional and Franklin Correctional, both located near Malone. DOCCS has also offered a $3,000 sign-on bonus to staff willing to transfer to facilities with acute staffing shortages elsewhere in the system.
Corrections Officers Union Pushes Back
The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) has strongly opposed the closure, arguing that it will worsen what the union describes as a crisis of violence, chronic understaffing, and unsustainable working conditions across the remaining facilities.
Union officials have pointed out that while the state is closing prisons, it has not proportionally reduced the number of incarcerated people, meaning remaining facilities will absorb Bare Hill’s population. NYSCOPBA has also pushed for legislation that would require the state legislature to approve any future prison closures — a bill currently pending in the state Senate.
North Country Economic Impact
The closure deals another economic blow to the North Country region, where prisons have long been among the largest employers. Since 2011, New York has closed more than a dozen correctional facilities, most of them in rural upstate communities where the loss of a prison means the loss of hundreds of stable, union-wage jobs.
Malone, a village of roughly 5,700 people, still has two state prisons nearby — but local officials worry about the cumulative impact of continued closures on the tax base, local businesses, and housing values. Previous closures in communities like Moriah and Camp Gabriels led to population declines and economic stagnation that persisted for years.
Collins Consolidation Also Underway
In addition to the Bare Hill closure, DOCCS is consolidating part of the Collins Correctional Facility campus in Erie County to more efficiently deploy staff and manage operations. That transition is expected to be completed by the end of the current fiscal year.
Advocates for prison reform have largely supported the closures, arguing that New York should continue reducing its reliance on incarceration and redirect savings toward community-based reentry programs, mental health services, and housing support. The Osborne Association and other reentry organizations have called on the state to invest closure savings in the communities most affected by mass incarceration.
Governor Hochul’s administration has indicated that additional closures may follow if the prison population continues to decline, though no further announcements are expected before the next budget cycle.
For more coverage of New York state facilities, visit the Jail411 New York directory.
