Garner Prison Deja Vu

To the Editor:

Reading The New York Times Sunday I see the headline “Newtown Vows to Fight Prison Extension.” with a photo of activist Wendy Beres. Deja vu!

I think it is disgraceful that we are yet again in this defensive situation and Wendy Beres etc.  exhorting us all to fight.

We have state representatives who should have foreseen this situation. The prison caught us all by surprise when it was voted for under the O’Neill (Democrat) administration. We were told it would be a low level institution, we fought the good fight, what did we get? A  level four high security lock down for gang member felons.

We went through the riots resulting in the citizens group alarm beeper system financed by state funds which is still in effect.

The prison has been quietly sitting there through all the task force discussions, I had raised questions about declassifying the prison and received negative responses from the commissioner and other state officials. Yet we are now being told by Ms Heather Ziemba that there is a need for more prisons especially those with mental health needs and unsentenced offenders awaiting trial. Are they going to be housed in a level four high security prison?

What is going on? We as a town are thinking of buying Fairfield Hills for school building, open air concerts, and Park and Rec activities.

Also the state owns the remaining acreage of raw land. They can expand and build cheaply without the “bother” of razing buildings, we meanwhile will be subject to all the planning and zoning codes, environmental issues, all state and federal regulations.

We will also have the problems of security especially if there is more open traffic in school zones.

I think Ms Wasserman certainly must “stay on top of it.” I agree that Selectman Rosenthal has a right to be concerned.

Wendy E. McCullough

Aunt Park Lane, Newtown                                         April 24, 2000