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| Okla. Expecting to Save Money with Prison Buy |
| By The Oklahoman |
| Published: 02/14/2003 |
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The Oklahoma Corrections Department expects to save about $1.4 million a year with the state's first purchase of a private prison. The department has won approval for the sale of bonds to buy the Central Oklahoma Correctional Facility near McLoud, which has housed women inmates since it opened in 1998. Deputy Corrections Director Ed Evans said the department plans to buy the 1,138-bed prison for about $35.9 million. Up to $4.1 million extra will be spent on upgrading the facility to maximum-security status and constructing four more buildings. Oklahoma, for the first time, will contract out to house inmates from other states. Wyoming and Hawaii have 110 women in the prison. The department expects to continue that arrangement and is counting on the $1.4 million a year in contract payments that have been going to the prison's owner, Edmond-based Dominion Correctional Services. Evans said the prison is less than half-full, with about 460 women inmates. The purchase will allow the Corrections Department to move all of its female inmates from the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in Oklahoma City. Mabel Bassett, which opened in 1974 and hosts medium- and maximum-security prisoners, has a capacity of 337 and currently has 320 prisoners. Mabel Bassett is next to the department's administration building. Evans said no decision has been made on the future use of Mabel Bassett, although it likely will be used for office space, which would allow the agency to pull out of other rented office space. Department spokesman Jerry Massie said the possibility of using Mabel Bassett for low- security inmates also has been discussed. It might also be used for training, he said. |
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