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Clinton Correctional Facility

1156 Cook Street
Dannemora, NY 12929
(518) 492-2511

Interview with Andrew and Jeremy

JM: How long was your sentencing for?
Andrew: The original sentence was going to be 25 to life. But I plead down to 8 years.
Jeremy: 5-10 yrs.

JM: Did you spend time in a holding cell after your sentencing? If so, what was that like? If you didn't where did they they take you instead?
Andrew: 11 months in Ontario. I already had experience there so I knew what to expect going in. Still, never a good place to be.
Jeremy: It was just a regular jail cell block.

Life On The Inside
The Clinton Correctional Facility has been dubbed "Little Siberia" because of its cold weather and remote location. The facility is 320 miles north of New York City, close to the Canadian border. As the joke goes, there are two seasons up there: winter and July.

The Clinton Correctional Facility has a fabled history. When Lucky Luciano was incarcerated there he paid for the funds to have a church built on the grounds. It stands there to this day. However, this prison is not a place to be romanticized. According to a former inmate this is an extremely violent environment with the "worst of the worst" being held there.

The current population is around 3,000 inmates. With a crowd that size it becomes a major challenge to keep the order. The prison is arranged in multiple cellblocks with one man cells. There are close to 44 inmates on each cell block. Multiple that by 3,000 and you can understand why this facility is the third largest of its kind in the state.

Inmates are allowed television privileges but the choice of which channel to watch will typically fall to the "lifers" who hold sway over the prison. Inmates are allowed the minimum amount of time outside which is one hour per day. The best recommendation is to stick to yourself, stay in your cell and mind your own business.

Good Behavior Policy
In order to earn merit time an inmate has to meet certain conditions. They need to successfully complete one of the following: get a GED, get a sobriety certificate, get vocational training or complete 400 hours of work crew assignment. If those conditions are met then the inmate could receive up to one third off their sentence.

Visitor and Phone Policy
Because of the location of the prison, visitors who travel from out of town are given deference with regard to setting up an appointment. These visits can occur throughout the week. For regular visitations, the weekends are available. These visits are considered contact visits and are held in an open cafeteria type of setting. Inmates are allowed to have up to 3 visitors at a time.

Phones are provided during the day for outgoing collect calls only. The access to phones depends on how many inmates are in line ahead of you.

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