Groveland Correctional Facility

Groveland Correctional Facility is a medium security prison located in the Town of Groveland in Livingston County, New York, in the United States. The facility is located next to the community of Sonyea in Groveland on the site of a former Shaker community. The town is south of Rochester, Monroe County, New York, near Interstate 390.

History

The Shakers owned the Groveland Shaker Village after 1836, when they moved from Sodus in Wayne County, New York to escape worldly influences. When the membership of the sect declined, the Shakers sold the land to the state after they were assured it would be used for good purpose. Several of the Shaker buildings are still used today. The armory and church are of Shaker origin.

At the end of the 19th century, the state opened a facility for epileptics here. While some claim that the name Sonyea is an acronym for State of New York Epileptic Asylum, other authorities hold that the word comes from the Seneca language and means "a warm and sunny place". Later the building was taken over by the state prison system.

The prison is divided into 2 parts, upper and lower, with a fence and sally port to restrict movement between the two. Dorms C-J, the prison hospital and food service are on the upper. Dorms K and L, as well as the commissary, school, church and recreation yards are on the lower. The recreation yards feature 3 softball diamonds, a weight yard and horseshoe pits.

In the past, female prisoners were held at Groveland, but it is currently a male facility.

External links

• Profile from the New York State Department of Correctional Services