CMYK
: BEHINDGreeneBARS County Jail
A 3-part investigative series looking into deaths at the former Greene County Jail running August 8, 11 and 12 in the Register-Star and The Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail Copyright 2020, Columbia-Greene Media Volume 228, No. 157
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ALBANY — New York schools have the green light to reopen this fall as the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic continues, but state infection and transmission numbers remain low, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. Cuomo made the announcement school districts, colleges and universities statewide can reopen this fall on a conference call with reporters late Friday morning “All school districts can open
everywhere in the state,” the governor said. “Based on our infection rate, New York state is in the best possible situation right now. If any state can open schools, this state can do it. Every region is below the threshold we established, which is just great news.” Last month, the state released guidance detailing schools could reopen in September for regions in Phase IV of reopening with a COVID-19 infection rate under 5% over a 14-day average.
Mike Groll/Office of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a pandemic briefing May 23 at the Executive Mansion in Albany. New York’s quarantine mandate for outof-state travelers was expanded to 31 states Tuesday.
See SCHOOLS A8
BEHIND BARS A three-part investigative series into deaths at the former Greene County Jail
statue sits A giant Emmy in front of the atop a fountain n Arts of Televisio od Academy ’ North Hollywo & Sciences in 2014. headquarters
Five key takeaways from Emmy nominations
Part One
INSIDE TODAY! e How th By LORRAINE
ALI
Los Angeles Times
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n SPORTS
Matthew Leombruno
Rally brings Orioles to championship
State report: COs violated law in county jail deaths
Bobby Krogh’s Orioles defeated the Mudcats in a tough battle 7-4, on Thursday. PAGE B1
n LOCAL In pursuit of a donor fund
By Sarah Trafton Columbia-Greene Media
Greene lawmakers are looking into formation of a C-GCC donor fund to aid county students PAGE A8
n INDEX Region Opinion State/Nation Obituaries Sports Classified Comics/Advice
A3 A4 A5 A5 B1 B6 B7-B8
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The former Greene County Jail outpaces similar-sized facilities across the state in the number of suicides and overdoses in the last 12 years. Note: Greene County’s inmate population declined further in 2019 to 35, but the jail closed in April 2018.
CATSKILL – Corrections officers with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office violated state law and its own policies, which could have prevented the 2018 suicide of one inmate at the now-closed Greene County Jail, and authorities did not properly investigate the death of another, according to a December 2019 state report. The jail, overseen by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, had four suicides and one overdose in the last 12 years. Two of the deaths remain under investigation by the state Commission of Correction. The original county jail, built in 1908 on Bridge Street in the village of Catskill, was closed April 20, 2018, following a Kaaterskill Associates analysis that revealed the south wall of the building was structurally compromised, or dangerous for inmates and staff. Construction on a new 64-bed Greene County Jail, adjacent to the maximum security Coxsackie Correctional Facility on Route 9W, is expected to start accepting inmates in July 2021. The jail project is funded by a $39 million bond from Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. at 2.49% interest and an $8.1 million contribution from county taxpayers. Greene County Jail’s population peaked at 85 inmates in 2013, according to 20102019 Commission of Correction census records. Four suicides, with two under state See BARS A7