What makes a prison bust? Evidence from New York state

• In Event: Downsizing Punishment: Institutional Closure and the Future of Incarceration

Abstract

The past two decades in the United States have seen a pattern of widespread prison closures, deemed the “prison bust” (Harris et al., 2024). Following a “boom” from 1970 to 2000, during which the number of US prisons--primarily constructed in rural areas--tripled (Eason, 2016), prisons have begun closing rapidly. While prison construction was politically purported to reinvigorate local economies, studies have found no substantive economic impact on counties hosting new prisons (King, 2004; Zhang, 2024). New York has the second-highest number of prison closures since 2000, and the state has cut its prison population nearly by half since 2008 (Johnson, 2023). The present study examines the factors contributing to the “prison bust” in New York state. We analyze the characteristics of New York’s open and closed prisons since 2008, including their security levels, population characteristics, staffing and security incidents. We use county-level demographic, economic and crime data, in addition to key policy changes in the state, to assess the determinants of a prison’s closure in New York.

Authors

• May Pascaud, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

• Allison M. Echeverria, CUNY Graduate Center / John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Joel A. Capellan, John Jay College of Criminal Justice