Sing Sing

Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, in the U.S. state of New York. It is located about 30 miles (50 km) north of New York City on the east bank of the Hudson River.In 1970, the name of the facility was changed to "Ossining Correctional Facility" but, in 1985, it reverted to its original name. "Sing Sing" was derived from the name of a Native American Nation, "Sinck Sinck" (or "Sint Sinck"), from whom the land was purchased in 1685.Sing Sing prison confines about 1,700 prisoners. There are plans to convert the original 1825 cell block into a time specific museum.The prison property is bisected by the Metro-North Railroad's four-track Hudson Line.HistoryEarly yearsSing Sing was the fifth prison built by New York State. The first prison, Newgate Prison, was built in 1797 in Greenwich Village and a second one in 1816 called Auburn State Prison.