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| Gov. Jindal Moving Forward With Sale of Prisons |
| By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON, Advocate Capitol News Bureau, 2theadvocate.com |
| Published: 02/24/2011 |
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Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Wednesday that he wants to move forward with the sale of prisons in Avoyelles, Allen and Winn parishes to generate nearly $100 million to help address a state budget crunch. Jindal also said he plans to put the Avoyelles Parish Correctional Center as well as a prison in Pineville under the management of local sheriffs. The Avoyelles Parish sheriff disputed the Jindal administration’s announcement that his office would buy the Cottonport prison as well as operate it. “I ain’t buying no prison,” Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson said. Jindal tossed out a number of suggestions late last year as he met with lawmakers about how to address an anticipated $1.6 billion state operating budget shortfall in the state fiscal year that starts July 1. Those suggestions included the prison sales, lottery securitization, a sale-leaseback of state buildings and privatizing a state employee health plan. Jindal said he no longer is considering selling state buildings and leasing them back or getting an upfront portion of the future growth in lottery proceeds. He said selling state buildings and leasing them back would not be a good deal for taxpayers and that securitizing the lottery lacks sense. So far, Jindal only is proposing the prison sales. Selling the three prisons would require legislative approval. Jindal can move more immediately on another part of his prison reorganization: Paying local sheriffs to run Dabadie Correctional Center in Pineville and Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport. The Jindal administration estimates the move would save the state $2.8 million in the new fiscal year and $10.3 million the following fiscal year. The correctional centers in Allen and Winn parishes already are run by private companies with private employees. The prisons in Pineville and Cottonport are staffed by state employees. The proposal encountered a huge snag Wednesday when Anderson disputed the Jindal administration’s contention that his office is buying one of the prisons. Read More. |
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