Goodin Questions if Decision to Close Henryville Correctional Facility Was the Right Move

INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Terry Goodin (D-Austin) today issued the following statement after the Indiana Department of Correction announced plans to close the Henryville Correctional Facility by July 1, 2016:

“It is disappointing that the Henryville facility will be closing down, and the local residents who work there probably will be forced to move elsewhere in order to keep their jobs.

“I understand that this facility is being closed to save taxpayer dollars at the state level, but what often gets overlooked is the impact that these announcements can have on local taxpayers.

“Many cities and towns around Henryville do not have the manpower to handle some of the dirty little jobs that must be done to maintain their communities, such as mowing weeds out of vacant lots, picking up trash, and clearing out ditches. To get help, they often relied upon work crews from Henryville to do these things for them. Now that these crews no longer will be around, it will be more difficult to take care of these tasks. In most cases, they will have to be forgotten about or contracted out to private concerns at prices that will end up costing local taxpayers even more.

“I know that the governor and his administration are claiming this move will save as much as $2.4 million, but I wonder whether the lasting impact for area taxpayers might be much greater. Those kinds of details often get overlooked in the rush to brag about saving money. At a time when local governments are struggling to make ends meet, the idea of taking resources away from them troubles me.”