Stay Off Our Property Or Else, Prison Officials Tell Local Residents

EAST LYME, CT — The York Correctional Institution issued a statement recently telling people to stay off their Niantic property.

People have been entering the state's property at 201 W. Main St. to hike, swim, and fish, according to the statement. The property includes Bride Lake.

However, the Department of Correction states the property is closed to the public. Those entering could be charged with third-degree criminal trespassing.

York Correctional Institution is a high-security facility. It serves as the state's only institution for female offenders, according to the state.

The full statement from the Department of Correction is below:

It has come to the attention of the CT Department of Correction, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and East Lyme Police Department that people are accessing state property along North Briderbrook Road, Roxbury Road, and/or West Main Street for purposes such as hiking, swimming, and fishing. This property is closed to the public because it is state correctional facility property.

Entering this land is therefore strictly prohibited by Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 53a-109. Violations may result in a criminal citation for Criminal Trespass in the third degree. This prohibition on entry includes all purposes, including but not limited to hiking, swimming, and fishing. Entry would also interfere with state migratory fish restoration efforts and research.