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The End Of An Era: 5 Critical Facts About The Bare Hill Correctional Facility Closure In New York

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The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has confirmed a major shift in the state’s prison landscape with the impending closure of the Bare Hill Correctional Facility. As of late 2025, this medium-security prison, located in the North Country, is operating with a final deadline looming. The decision, part of a statewide review to address underutilization and staffing needs, marks the end of nearly four decades of operation for the facility in Malone, New York.

The latest information, confirmed in a recent DOCCS announcement, specifies that the facility will officially cease operations in early 2026. This move has immediate and long-term implications for the incarcerated population, the nearly 300 staff members, and the surrounding Franklin County community, which relies heavily on the facility's economic footprint. This article reveals the most crucial facts about the closure and what it means for the future of New York's correctional system.

Bare Hill Correctional Facility: A Biography of a North Country Prison

To understand the magnitude of the closure, one must first look at the facility’s profile and history. Bare Hill Correctional Facility has been a fixture in the North Country since the late 1980s, serving as a medium-security hub for adult male inmates.

  • Facility Name: Bare Hill Correctional Facility (BHCF)
  • Security Level: Medium-Security
  • Location: Town of Malone, Franklin County, New York (Upstate New York)
  • Opened: 1988
  • Managed By: New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS)
  • Original Working Capacity: Approximately 1,722 inmates (as of 2010)
  • Inmate Population (Pre-Closure): Approximately 709 incarcerated individuals (operating at less than 50% capacity)
  • Staff Headcount: 293 employees (Correctional Officers and Civilian Staff)
  • Closure Date: March 11, 2026 (Official DOCCS Date)

The Real Reason Bare Hill is Closing: Underutilization and Efficiency

The decision to close Bare Hill Correctional Facility is not an isolated event but rather a continuation of a trend in New York State to consolidate its prison system. The primary drivers behind the March 2026 closure are low inmate population and the need for operational efficiency across the DOCCS network.

For years, New York’s prison population has been in decline, leading to a number of facilities operating far below their designed capacity. Bare Hill, with an inmate count of around 709 men against a capacity that once exceeded 1,700, was deemed fiscally inefficient.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration and the DOCCS have emphasized that closing underutilized facilities helps to address critical staffing shortages across the entire state system. By closing Bare Hill, the 293 staff members, including correctional officers and civilian personnel, will be offered transfers to other nearby correctional facilities, such as Upstate Correctional Facility and Franklin Correctional Facility, allowing for better redistribution of personnel to more efficiently run prisons.

This strategic consolidation is framed as a necessary budget adjustment and a way to centralize resources, ensuring that the remaining facilities are adequately staffed and funded. The closure is part of a statewide review of New York's prisons, highlighting a shift in correctional policy that favors efficiency over maintaining underutilized infrastructure.

3 Major Programs That Will Be Impacted by the Closure

As a medium-security facility, Bare Hill was known for offering a significant number of rehabilitative and educational programs aimed at reducing recidivism and preparing individuals for reentry into the community. The closure means that these vital services must now be relocated or discontinued, creating logistical challenges for the state and uncertainty for the incarcerated individuals who rely on them.

1. Educational and Vocational Training Programs

Bare Hill was a notable site for higher education for the incarcerated. It hosted a dedicated Prison Education Program (PEP) in partnership with North Country Community College (NCCC), offering credit-bearing college-level courses.

Additionally, the facility partnered with organizations like Level to provide specialized vocational training in fields such as entrepreneurship, computer science, and job training. The loss of these on-site programs means inmates will need to be transferred to facilities that can offer comparable educational opportunities to continue their studies.

2. Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Treatment

The facility offered comprehensive Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, along with Anger Management Programs and Trauma Programs. These behavioral health services are crucial for rehabilitation. The relocation of inmates will require DOCCS to ensure continuity of care, which is often a complex and difficult process during mass transfers.

3. Reentry and Transitional Services

Bare Hill ran Transitional Services Programs and Temporary Release Programs, which are essential for preparing inmates for release and successful community reintegration. These programs often rely on proximity to certain community resources. Disrupting these services, even temporarily, can pose a risk to the success of an individual’s reentry plan. Family Development Programs also offered a critical link to the outside world, which will be severed by the geographic distance of a transfer.

The Economic Shockwave on Malone, NY and Franklin County

The closure of any major institution in a rural area creates significant economic fallout, and the Bare Hill closure is no exception for the Town of Malone and the wider Franklin County region. The prison's deep integration into the local economy is what makes its loss so impactful.

The 293 jobs being transferred out of the region represent a massive loss of reliable, high-paying state employment. While the staff are being offered positions elsewhere, the local community loses the tax base, the consumer spending, and the general economic activity generated by those hundreds of employees and their families. This is a common and devastating consequence of rural prison closures across Upstate New York.

Local businesses, including restaurants, gas stations, and retail shops, will see a sharp drop in revenue from both the staff and the steady stream of visiting families. As one nearby restaurant owner noted, the prison's closing is expected to "negatively impact Malone's economy." The loss of this state-funded anchor institution forces the community to scramble for new economic development strategies to fill the void.

What Happens Next for the Inmates and Staff?

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has a well-defined process for facility closures, which is currently underway at Bare Hill. The closure date of March 11, 2026, initiates a final phase of operations focused on safe and orderly relocation.

The incarcerated men at Bare Hill will be transferred to other medium-security facilities within the DOCCS system. The department's priority will be to place individuals in facilities that can continue to offer the specific programs, services, and medical care they require, though geographic considerations often complicate this process. Staff members, as state employees, will be offered positions at other DOCCS facilities, ensuring no layoffs occur. However, these transfers often require significant relocation or lengthy commutes for the personnel involved, creating personal and familial disruption. The ultimate fate of the Bare Hill facility property itself—whether it will be repurposed, sold, or simply left vacant—remains a critical question for the future of the Malone community.

The End of an Era: 5 Critical Facts About the Bare Hill Correctional Facility Closure in New York
bare hill correctional facility new york
bare hill correctional facility new york

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