Long Island's Suffolk County struck an agreement with New York State to not expand its correctional facility this year, resulting in long-term savings for the local government.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced during his March 26 State of the County address that the deal reached with the state Commission of Correction lifts a previous mandate that would have required the county to begin construction this year on the second phase of its new jail in Yaphank.
Bellone said not having to expand the jail will save Suffolk County taxpayers more than $300 million over the next 20 years. He attributed avoiding the jail expansion to declining crime rates and the county's focus toward incarceration alternatives that have cut down on the inmate population.
"It has been one of my top policy objectives as county executive not to build that jail," said Bellone in his speech. "Now the job ahead is to make sure this sticks and that we never have to build that jail."
Suffolk County is rated A3 by Moody's Investors Service. It is located on the eastern portion of Long Island with a population around 1.5 million.
