After reading the recent story about a ‘correctional officer’ intimidating a network news reporter for accidentally filming an empty prison at Wilton, NY, I googled ‘empty prison’. As it turns out, there are several around the USA. Coalinga, CA has an empty facility on 19 acres that once housed 570 state inmates, in a state that claims its prisons are overcrowded.  (CA has a program for early release of nonviolent offenders to alleviate ‘overcrowding’ while not allowing transfers to less crowded facilities out of state.)  The empty 1,600 federal facility at Thompson, IL has received $53 million  to “renovate, reopen and staff” but is still empty.  Brush, CO   has one that’s been empty since 2010.  Bayview Correctional Center in Chelsea, New York City  is said to be available for redevelopment, but it’s still empty. Overcrowding is not the trend. Crime rates are down, and...(Read Full Post)