|
|
| Legislators not sold on prison plan that impacts Cenla |
| By thetowntalk.com - Mike Hasten |
| Published: 03/14/2012 |
|
BATON ROUGE -- The Department of Corrections is counting on privatizing the state prison in Avoyelles Parish, closing facilities in Rapides and Caddo parishes and increasing employee retirement contributions to balance its budget. But the plan is running into some legislative resistance. Corrections Secretary James Le Blanc told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that his budget-balancing plan calls for closing the J. Levy Dabadie Correctional Center in Pineville, transferring its 330 low-risk offenders to the Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport and then selling the Avoyelles Parish prison to a private company. Rep. James Armes, D-Leesville, the only Central Louisiana lawmaker on the Appropriations Committee, said he could not support the proposal impacting Dabadie and Avoyelles Correctional Center. "I'm strictly against privatization," Armes said, "and I'm trying to keep everything open in Central Louisiana. "I'm not for selling more of the state," he said. "It's a quick fix for the budget, but down the road it's going to cost us a lot of money when it comes to renegotiating contracts." Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, who is not on Appropriations, said he also can't support the administration plan for prisons because it is "hitting our area pretty hard, and that's somebody's kid in that prison. "I feel like our Department of Corrections is doing a good job," Harris said, but "I'm not for closing Avoyelles. I'm for keeping it open. There are some things that the state does well, and one of them is running prisons. I'm not for privatization." Read More. |
Comments:
Login to let us know what you think
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
The directory includes the biographies of judges presidentially appointed to serve during good behavior since 1789 on the U.S. district courts, U.S. courts of appeals, Supreme Court of the United States, and U.S. Court of International Trade, as well as the former U.S. circuit courts, Court of Claims, U.S. Customs Court, and U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Also included are judges who received presidential recess appointments to the above named courts but were not confirmed by the Senate to serve during good behavior. The Waco Federal Judge is experienced in patent litigation and starting to become the go-to district for intellectual property cases. The appointment of Waco’s new federal judge, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrows the venue for patent cases and Waco’s home in the federal Western District of Texas have combined into a perfect storm that could drastically alter Waco’s legal landscape.