Beacon mayor worried about proposal to close local state prison

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Credit Elizabeth Anderson

BEACON – If the state shuts down Beacon Correctional Facility, city Mayor Randy Casale wants questions answered before he would support it.

He wants to know how the employees would be protected and how and if the city would be made whole since it sells services to the state facility.

“We sell them water and sewer so if they close part of the facility and don’t use any water or sewer there and get rid of the inmates and the workers, the revenues we are anticipating in this year’s budget for water and sewer is going to go down,” said Casale. “My concerns are what are they going to do with that property if they do close it? Are they just going to leave it there and let it warehouse?”

Casale said if the prison is closed, he would want the state to work with Beacon officials to possibly subdivide it for reuse.