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State would replace Camp Pharsalia with OMH facility for 500 sex offenders
By SHERRY HALBROOK
For years, the state closed psychiatric centers and expanded its prison system. Now, that trend could be reversed.
Under a new proposal, announced by the governor last month, Camp Pharsalia — a state minimum-security correctional facility in Chenango County — would be closed, demolished and replaced with a brand new, $130 million long-term secure facility for 500 sex offenders. It would be operated by the state Office of Mental Health.
The facility would employ more than 1,000 people and would open in 2009.
The proposal is part of the governor’s Executive Budget proposal for 2006-07. It also includes an additional $35 million to renovate current OMH facilities to house and treat sexual predators until the Pharsalia facility is ready. This temporary housing includes a 100-bed unit at Central New York Psychiatric Center. And the governor added $27 million to the OMH budget request to cover operating costs for the sex-offender units.
The plan to turn these sexual offenders over to OMH after they have served their prison terms is part of a legislative proposal by the governor that would allow the state to civilly commit sexually violent predators. He submitted similar legislation last year, but the state Assembly did not vote on it and now has its own bill.
Nevertheless, in September, the governor began sending sex offenders, who were being discharged from prison, to OMH facilities. Some of those individuals have sued the state, demanding their release.
PEF is evaluating the governor’s legislative proposals. And the union has received some assurance from the state Department of Correctional Services that its employees at Pharsalia
will be offered positions at other prisons or correctional facilities | |
The
Communicator February 2006
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