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Twenty-three state prisons fall directly within the “path of totality,” meaning they will experience up to three and a half minutes of total darkness during the “Great Northern American Eclipse” on Monday afternoon, April 8.
Out of precaution, all 23 of those correctional facilities will be locked down and operate on a holiday schedule, Thomas Mailey, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) told Daily Voice.
As such, no visitors will be allowed, and inmates will be confined to their housing or work units. The move is meant to ensure the safety of New York’s prison population as well as correctional staff, Mailey said.
“Recognizing the surge of visitors expected in the region during the eclipse, the department is working with the New York State Eclipse Interagency Task Force to ensure DOCCS visitors and staff are not stuck in traffic or otherwise stranded,” he said.
“For this reason, visitation will be suspended at all DOCCS facilities in the path of totality on Monday, April 8, 2024 and will resume on Tuesday, April 9.”
The correctional facilities affected include: Adirondack, Albion, Altona, Attica, Auburn, Bare Hill, Cape Vincent, Cayuga, Clinton, Collins, Five Points, Franklin, Gouverneur, Groveland, Lakeview Shock, Marcy, Mid-State, Mohawk, Orleans, Riverview, Upstate, Wende, and Wyoming.
Visitation at all other DOCCS facilities will end at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 8.
It’s not all bad news for inmates, though; the department purchased and will distribute solar eclipse safety glasses for all inmates and prison staff “in the event they will be able to view the eclipse from their assigned work location or housing units,” Mailey said.
Asked how much DOCCS spent on the safety glasses, Mailey declined to comment and told Daily Voice to submit a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request.
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