Sen. Aubertine Stands Up For OCF, Upstate Correctional Facilities

Sen. Aubertine and OCF Task Force Chairman and Ogdensburg Journal Editor and Publisher Charles W. Kelly

ALBANY (March 23, 2010)--State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine said today that while the Senate's budget proposal would protect the Ogdensburg Correctional Facility from closing now and into the future, this important news is not the end of our fight to save the facility from closure.

"This is good news, but it's not final," Sen. Aubertine said. "We need to continue working together. This is not a partisan issue and I will continue to make the case for our facility, our community, and our families, especially the families of the 287 workers at OCF. This show of support today was a great sign not only because of the bipartisan group of lawmakers who showed up to support the facility, but especially because it shows just how committed the community is to saving this facility. We are all ready to do whatever it takes to save OCF."

The Senator, who was joined by colleagues from both sides of the political aisle, emphasized the need to work together to make sure this and three other facilities notified of closure are in the budget so lawmakers can vote "Yes" to saving them. It is critically important in the process to have language in the budget restoring the facilities, since notification of closure has already been given meaning that even if no budget is passed, the four Upstate correctional facilities would close.