Elmira Correctional Facility
Interactive map of Elmira Correctional Facility | |
| Location | Elmira, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°6′53.03″N 76°49′44.64″W / 42.1147306°N 76.8290667°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Maximum security |
| Opened | 1876 (as Elmira Reformatory) |
| Managed by | New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision |
Elmira Correctional Facility, also known as "The Hill", is a maximum security state prison located in Chemung County, in the City of Elmira in the US state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. A supermax prison, Southport Correctional Facility, was located 2 miles (3.2 km) away from Elmira. Southport closed in 2022.
The facility was founded in 1876 as the Elmira Reformatory and run by its controversial superintendent Zebulon Brockway. Acting with rehabilitative aims, Brockway instilled strict discipline along the lines of military training. Although accused of brutality in 1893 for his corporal punishment, Brockway was an acknowledged leader in his field. At his retirement in 1900, the Elmira System had been adopted by the states of Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota.
Elmira is a major stop in the New York State Department of Corrections bus network, with a large enclosed yard that holds many, and inmate transfers.