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| Opinions differ on private prisons |
| By trivalleycentral.com - MARK COWLING |
| Published: 08/16/2012 |
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While local officials said they welcomed the investment and jobs that would accompany another private prison in Florence, others questioned whether the state was getting value for its money out of these facilities. The state held a public hearing Monday afternoon at the Holiday Inn to present information and gather comments on a potential new 1,000-bed medium security prison for adult males. Approximately 80 people, not including state officials, were present. The state sought proposals from private prison providers earlier this year, and is considering bids to build the prison in either Florence, Coolidge, Eloy, San Luis or Winslow. Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles L. Ryan told those in attendance that the state would decide which proposal would receive the contract around the end of the month. Officials from Geo Group told those in attendance that if they receive the contract, they will build the prison adjacent to their two existing local facilities on the east side of Pinal Parkway. The new prison will be designed for LEED Silver designation for environmental stewardship and will have multiple levels of security. The prison will generate some 200 construction jobs, then up to 260 permanent jobs when it begins operating. Geo Group plans to continue its community involvement, including scholarships for local high school students and a community advisory board. The prison grounds will include state-owned property and an adjacent Geo-owned property. After 20 years, the prison will become all state property. Geo’s current local prisons are the 1,280-bed medium-security Central Arizona Correctional Facility and the 750-bed DUI and return-to-custody Arizona State Prison-Florence West. Geo also operates Arizona State Prison-Phoenix West and employs nearly 500 Arizonans, according to company officials at Monday’s meeting. In all the company has about 75,000 beds in 108 prisons in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. Stacy Scheff with the American Friends Service Committee asked how taxpayers can be assured private prisons save them money since the Legislature repealed the law requiring this information. Ryan replied that the taxpayers save in construction dollars they would otherwise pay. Read More. |
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