CCA Solicits More Support to Keep Its Prison Here
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- By late October, the company that operates the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center on the East Side should learn whether the federal government intends to renew a make-or-break contract it holds with the lockup, or shift the bulk of its prison population elsewhere.
The latter decision would result in the layoff of nearly all of the 400 employees who work there, say officials from Corrections Corporation of America Inc., who were in town Tuesday soliciting support for the prison (CLICK HERE) and to give the public an update on the process.
Representatives of the Federal Bureau of Prisons visited the prison just off Hubbard Road yesterday, reports CCA spokesman Steve Owen. The visit was part of an environmental assessment and tour of the prison that's required in the bidding process, he says.
"The bottom line is that if we're successful and awarded the contract, they continue to have their population here," Owen notes. "If we're not, the population goes out of state."
The Bureau of Prisons' contract calls for CCA's operation here to house some 1,500 illegal aliens who have also committed federal crimes while in the United States, Owen says. All held at the site are serving time for nonviolent offenses. The contract would extend for four years, with six two-year option periods.
Another 500 inmates are incarcerated per a separate contract with the U.S. Marshals Service and aren’t affected by the bureau's contract.
Keeping the Bureau of Prisons' contract, however, is vital, Owen emphasized. "Losing that would mean having to lay off a significant number of those more than 400 jobs, which is what we're all working to avoid," he notes.
The bureau is expected to issue a full assessment and report by the end of September and reach a final decision by mid- to late October on whether to renew the contract.
CCA's Northeast Ohio prison is locked in tight competition with another private prison in Phillipsburg, Pa.
The Bureau of Prisons says it wishes to award just a single contract for this population in a six-state district, thus pitting the Youngstown prison in direct competition with the one in Phillipsburg, reports Jeb Beasley, managing director of partnership relations at CCA. "Essentially, one gets to keep their current population, and the other population goes somewhere else," he says.
The majority of these prisoners come from Central America, South America and Mexico, Beasely says, but there are also many from other parts of the world.
As of now, there are no other pending contracts with other agencies that would house additional prisoners in Youngstown should this bid fall short, Owen adds.
"All of our efforts are trying to be the successful bidder on this contract," he says.
Because the Youngstown and Phillipsburg prisons are similar in size and scope, competition between the two is keen. Although the Bureau of Prisons takes into account factors such as cost, public support also plays a critical role in influencing the agency's decision, Owen says.
Since CCA launched an outreach campaign more than a year ago, the company has received "hundreds" of letters and statements of support via a website it's set up for the purpose of gauging public sentiment for the prison, Owen reports.
It's also received broad, bipartisan support from local, state and federal lawmakers who want to preserve the jobs at the prison.
"We'll send as many letters as we need," remarks Mayor John McNally. "From the city's perspective, we're hopeful that the Bureau of Prisons will support the East Side location to keep the contract."
Should the contract not be renewed, the impact on the city, county and community would be significant, Owen says.
CCA pays about $1.9 million annually in property taxes while spending on goods and services -- including water consumption at the prison -- totals $1.2 million. "Local spending on goods and services is to the tune of about $700,000 on an annual basis," Owen says.
The city also receives income tax from the 400-plus employees at the prison, Owen adds. An entry-level correctional officer, for example, earns $19.54 per hour, plus full benefits. Other positions include teachers, counselors, chaplains and nurses.
The wild card that could play the biggest factor is the level of individual support the prison can generate, and Owen is urging the public to come out strongly over the next several months in its support.
"I'm unaware of anyone opposing it," McNally says, noting he was scheduled to meet with CCA officials Tuesday afternoon. "Council supports it, and everyone from the state, local and federal level seem to be on board 100%."
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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