ALBANY – New York State Senator Thomas Libous said Wednesday that he would be making a “last ditch effort” during the legislature’s budgeting session today to keep Camp Pharsalia and two other minimum-security prisons open.

“I don’t have a lot of hope,” the Binghamton Republican said. “But I’m not going to give up.”

Libous said he had filed an amendment to Gov. Paterson’s proposed cut and was anxiously waiting for it to hit the floor.

He said he is particularly unhappy that a ruling made last year guaranteeing employees a year’s notice of any future potential closing of the facility was being completely ignored.