By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

STOCKTON -- They won't call it a fight, but community leaders in Stockton aren't giving up on efforts to keep their prison open.

To do that, community representatives spent part of last week in Topeka, talking with legislators.

Rooks County economic development director Roger Hrabe said the leaders were hoping to show legislators why it would be wrong to shut down the prison.

But, he said, the recent threat of losing the Norton prison as well kind of took the wind out of the sails of the effort to keep Stockton alive.

"When they started talking about closing Norton, ours took a back seat," Hrabe said, comparing the 30 jobs that Stockton would lose to the 300 at Norton. "I think that everything took a little different perspective at that point."

That doesn't mean, however, that Rooks County is going to sit idly by and watch the prison shut down.

And, he said, it will be hard on Stockton.

"I'm not going to make things sound rosier," he said. "It's going to be very tough."

Hrabe said community leaders plan to show legislators the benefits that come from the prison, such as its work crews.

"These communities are saving money that they otherwise would be spending," he said.

In addition, the group hope to strike deals that could make the prison come closer to being self-sustaining. Hrabe, however, didn't want to reveal too much prior to the meetings.

Closing the Stockton facility on April 1 rather than on July 1, he said, is expected to save $330,000, a "pittance" in the overall budget.

"I'm certainly not blaming the DOC," he said.

But the impact for Rooks County likely will top $1 million and will adversely affect local schools.

Of the 33 staff members at Stockton, 15 have children attending school.

With state aid topping $5,000 a student, he said, that's more than $50,000 for the school system.

"That's two beginning teachers' salaries," he said.

Of the staff members, 17 live in Stockton. Eight others live in Plainville and three in Woodston.

The prison losses will pale in comparison to the 150 jobs lost when Schult Homes shut down. Of those, 70 to 80 jobs were held by Rooks County residents.

But at the time, the oil economy was good, he said.

"We lost very few of the people," he said.

Now, he said, businesses are looking to scale back operations.

"I think it's going to be more difficult to absorb these people in," Hrabe said of the prison personnel who don't transfer to other facilities.

And some will be lost, he thinks, although some have local ties and will remain in the community.

"I think it's going to make for a difficult decision," he said.