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Michael Dougherty: End private prisons in Colorado Allowing profit into the criminal justice system undermines its integrity, effectiveness, and the public trust. There is a substantial cost difference in staffing between private and state-run facilities.". In an industrial area of southeast Colorado Springs, south of the El Paso County jail and a jaunt off Interstate 25, change is happening fast. The Bent County Correctional Facility (BCCF) located 85 miles east of Pueblo, was built by Bent County and opened in 1993 as the first private correctional facility in the State of Colorado. The State of Colorado pays CoreCivic over $67 million per year in taxpayer dollars to operate these two prisons the Bent County Correctional Facility and Crowley County Correctional Facility. The bill is meant to help determine how to best manage the state's prison population going forward, given the goal of reducing recidivism rates and decreasing sentences. That action freed up beds all over the state prison system, and Skyline already has 36 vacant beds. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! He also serves as director for the board ofSoutheast Health Groupand is board chairman for CDS Policy Control. Lets be clear: If these efforts are successful, Colorado will see more prison overcrowding, higher costs on taxpayers, limited access to life-saving reentry programming, educational, and substance abuse programs, and fewer options for future leaders to address key public safety challenges, Wilkes asserted. The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. 0 (BCCF). Colorado has two private prisons run by Core Civic: Bent County Correctional Facility Crowley County Correctional Facility For more information on Core Civic go to https://www.corecivic.com/ Contact Us 1250 Academy Park Loop Colorado Springs, CO 80910 Phone: 719-579-9580 Email: cdoc@state.co.us The legislation has two purposes: opening up more of Centennial South, up to 650 beds, and to require the Department of Corrections to conduct a feasibility study on closing the other two private prisons. The ICE Detention Center in Aurora, operated by GEO Group, has faced accusations of abuse and maltreatment of inmates, attracting protests and weekly inspections by U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Aurora. Thats still $2 less than the starting wage for state employees. State prison inmates are able to make calls with: Calling Cards. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Bent County Correctional Facility is a Medium security level Private Prison located in the city of Las Animas, Colorado. But on Jan. 7, GEO Group announced it would shutter Cheyenne Mountain on March 7 after operating it since 2017. Herods position is one held by not just state Democrats, but by many who have observed instances of mismanagement and abuses of private prisons nationwide. BCCF - Bent County Correctional Facility - Colorado - Prison Handbook Bent County leaders worry potential prison closure could - KOAA Closing would be devastating to fire districts, schools and many more community assets. Bent County Correctional Facility. Private Prisons | Department of Corrections "We can shut down those facilities. According to his memo, that's about one-third of the total prison population. Lexipol. We would never tolerate profit incentives for judges, public defenders, or prosecutors; we should not do so for prisons. It is contracted through the Department of Correction to incarcerate male offenders. I am mailing them today (December 26, 2014). Las Animas, CO 81054. If I had a turnover rate like that, I would really be concerned about the quality and training of the individuals that I hire. CoreCivic offers benefits including health insurance, a 401(k) matching savings and retirement plan, paid time off and education opportunities. Inmates can get certification for HVAC careers and for flaggers for the Department of Transportation. I do not have access to the Bent County Development Foundation records, that is a different agency located at the address below. Theres a computer center, and on the day of the visit a half-dozen inmates were at the keyboards, working on resumes or improving computer skills. What the governor had told me is, he thought that the state would take it over, Netherton said. It gets 25% of its property taxes from the Bent County Correctional Facility in Las Animas, which houses 1,466 inmates. The states handling of inmates is changing equally as fast to keep up. Address: 11560 County Road FF75, Las Animas, CO 81054. These facilities are owned by CoreCivic, a large corporation that earns a profit on every inmate it incarcerates, to the detriment of Colorados justice system, incarcerated individuals, taxpayers, and the staff at these facilities. Bent County Correctional Facility Inmate Records Search, Colorado The Bent County Correctional Facility is a private medium-security prison for men located in Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado. Im coming at this from a budget standpoint.. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. (719) 456 2610. For others, they've been fighting for two years over the issue. Ethical concerns central to state study on closure of Colo.'s private Between Jan. 10 and Jan. 29, DOC relocated 433 inmates to state prisons in Sterling, Rifle and Fremont County. Since the announcement of the closure, DOC has been providing human resources assistance to CMRC employees. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Gov. The prison population in Colorado has been going down for a long time. Gurule said his education and experience demonstrate his "passion and knowledge for business economics, social justice and education," but said his most important qualifications come from his personal experience as a Hispanic minority from a low-income family and as a formally incarcerated person in both state and private prisons. Impacts of closing or selling theBent County Correctional Facility: 2020 Bent County, CO. All rights reserved. Unlike a government agency, a private company like CoreCivic can decide abruptly to close down a facility, with no civic responsibility to the surrounding economy. Crowley County Correctional Facility - CoreCivic What happens next at the Colorado Springs site is as up-in-the-air as the public policy. Visit Website. Login, Colorado Prison Utilization Study - Public Hearing, Note: livestream videos are delayed by several seconds. The rate increase will allow CoreCivic to pay its correctional officers a starting wage of $22 per hour, according to the DOC. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. That could mean, pending a. This means that the number of separated correctional officers exceeds the average number of officers at those facilities; more people are starting and quitting than are employed there, the memo states. COVID restrictions to keep our staff and those in our care safe often add to the staffing challenge.. They told Colorado Politics that it would force both counties into bankruptcy. Thats something that deserves to be considered when youre making judgments about whether you should stop relying on private prisons, which are, I can tell you, much less expensive to operate, the budget analyst said. But leaders in Bent County say it's aiming at doing one thing in particular. Private facilities are similar to regular Colorado Department of Corrections facilities, except that they are run by a private corporation. But while the pay increase would probably somewhat help the turnover situation, there are other reasons why CoreCivic is having a hard time retaining its employees, said Justin Brakke, senior legislative budget and policy analyst on JBC staff. BCCF is a level III facility with an operational capacity of 1,388. Bent County Correctional Facility proudly supports the community through involvement in the following organizations and programs: Bent County Fair Board; Las Animas Chamber of Commerce; Las Animas Lions Club; La Junta Chamber of Commerce; Angel Tree for Children; Local Area Food Bank; Color Guard; Local Parades; Community Support Projects; Regional Schools Fundraising and Events, 1998 CCA Facility of the Year: Best Performance in Safety; 1997 CCA Facility of the Year: Community Relations, The following information is provided in accordance with PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003). Even if Colorado agrees to pay this exorbitant amount, the staff at these private prisons will still make $2 per hour less than their DOC counterparts. There was a problem saving your notification. The study, performed byRPI Consultingand CGL Companies, also cited a lack of access to health and job programs within private southeast prisons inSoutheast Colorado. "If we close down one or two facilities we're going to save the state millions of dollars, period. Please do not leave more than one voicemail or email per visit request. He also noted there are only two women-only facilities in the state and reducing the bed capacity would be risky. Over the summer, a legislative committee heard testimony that led her and other lawmakers to believe that profit-driven corporations dont deliver the rehabilitation and education programs inmates need to lead productive and meaningful lives once theyre free. Corrections1 is revolutionizing the way in which the corrections community finds relevant news, On average it will take approximately 30 days for the approval process. La Junta Tribune-Democrat. The facility is owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Colorado Department of Corrections and houses Colorado inmates. Unfortunately, due to the states new COVID-19 restrictions, that meeting had to be postponed. Colorado Springs mayoral candidates address affordable homeownership. We need a restorative approach to drug addiction. Brentwood, TN 37027, Phone: Prison Description. Inmate Info - Bent County Sheriff'S Office "We're very proud of the incredible teachers who made . You could build a prison based on the inaccuracy of a five-year forecast, he said. In addition, the number of inmates across all facilities decreased another 3.9% from mid-2019 to mid-2020. States Are Shutting Down Prisons as Guards are Crippled By Covid-19 There was a problem saving your notification. "We should actually transition communities into sustainable employment options for them. It has a capacity of 1,894 beds and opened in 1998. Revize Facility Information Name of Facility: Bent County Correctional Facility Physical Address: 11560 County Road FF. Low staffing at prisons in Colorado leads to unsustainable, Pam Anderson wants to run 'evidence-based' elections if, New U.S. House Natural Resources chair opposes limits on, abruptly closed the Cheyenne Mountain Re-entry Center. The Department of Corrections is now asking for an additional $5.7 million so that CoreCivic can raise the hourly pay for new officers without cutting into its profit margin. Theres real questions about that, and given GEOs decision to get out of the game, its forced the states hand to figure out a meaningful solution quickly, Gonzales said. Bent County Correctional Facility | Department of Corrections You have permission to edit this article. Bent County Correctional Facility Herod said that ifColorado'sprivate prisons are to eventually close, options such as a buy-back of the facilities by the state would be included. The new deaths linked to the disease include: A 62-year-old inmate who was being housed at the Bent County Correctional Facility. In Crowley County, the correctional facility generated 44% of property tax revenue and 42% of school district taxes. And even if we reinvest in those communities we will still see a cost savings in the millions of dollars. All rights reserved. But leaders in Bent County say its aiming at doing one thing in particular. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. For those counties and for the integrity of our justice system, the Department of Corrections should run all the prison facilities. It's a business with 285 employees, but it is also a small. It goes on to say that a supervisor created "a hostile work environment" and the nurse began making a series of formal complaints within the company about it. This original bill was to close private prisons by the year 2025, Netherton said. One facility in Colorado Springs closed last year. The Bent County Correctional Facility is a private medium-security prison for men located in Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado.The facility is owned and operated by CoreCivic under contract with the Colorado Department of Corrections and houses Colorado inmates.. CoreCivic has run the facility since 1996, and it has an official capacity of 1466 inmates Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Department of Corrections officials have said CMRC has not complied with contract obligations and has other performance deficiencies. Ethical concerns central to study on closing Colorado private prisons When asked about how the DOC had addressed staffing concerns at the private prisons, Skinner mentioned the per diem rate increase as well as retention bonuses for CoreCivic staff. They continually ask the state to decrease their responsibilities in the contracts, which I believe leads to unsafe environments for both the correctional officer and the inmate.. Closing the minimum security prison will save the state $1.9 million in the general fund in 2020-21 and almost $5 million the following year. Colorado Politics senior political reporter. PRIVATE PRISONS ARE AT RISKBent County is at Risk. The study stemmed from 2020 legislation. Reduced prison population could be financial cliff for Arkansas Valley A Colorado Springs private prison will close next month. Built in 1993, Bent County became Colorado's first privately run prison in 1996 when the Corrections Corporation of America bought it. Steve Allen, the principal legislative analyst for the Joint Budget Committee staff, said the reason the state has an empty prison it can now use, Centennial South, is because of poor projections that led to its construction. Mr. Virgil Ensey. For Families - CoreCivic The new fatalities come even as active coronavirus cases in Colorado Department of Corrections facilities are decreasing after a spike that matched the worst period of COVID-19 in the state. Marianne Goodland Cheyenne Mountains cafeteria. "This original bill was to close private prisons by the year 2025," Netherton said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. But, we will leave those communities without a large segment of their working population and their tax base, and if we do that it will be irresponsible if we walk away from those communities. Private prisons are a dangerous alliance for county governments. Have the visiting hours for this facility changed? And that was why the citizens went together and we built the prison.. Fountain woman to get no jail time for sexually assaulting 13-year-old, mother unhappy with plea deal. All rights reserved. Marianne Goodland Bent and Crowley County commissioners testify on House Bill 1019 on Janaury 28 and the impact that closing their prisons would have on their economy. The caller identified herself as the fiance of an inmate inside theBentprison facility. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Bent County Correctional Facility11560 Road FF75Las Animas, CO 81054, Inmate Name, IDBent County Correctional Facility11560 Road FF75Las Animas, CO 81054. Reducing its beds will save $788,630 in 2020-21 and $841,220 the following year, both general fund costs. Address: Access all of our premium content, get unlimited digital access and more! Warden. The facility is owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Colorado Department of . Secure your subscription to Colorados premier political news journal, in continuous publication since 1898. We are proud of that," MacDonnell said. Recently a study into the use of private prisons was published as part of legislation passed by State Rep. Leslie Herod. You can be in the know right alongside Colorados political insiders. "However, my opinion is that we cannot ethically support a company which makes a profit on the incarceration of human beings.". The State of Colorado pays CoreCivic over $67 million per year in taxpayer dollars to operate these two prisons - the Bent County Correctional Facility and Crowley County Correctional Facility. Learn more, Compliance Manager: Roscoe Mueller, Chief of Unit Management, Call the Department of Corrections at 719-226-4621, Call the CoreCivic Ethics and Compliance Hotline: 1-800-461-9330, or www.corecivic.com/ethicsline, Colorado DOC PREA Administrative Regulation (100-40): Download, PREA Audit Date or Scheduled Audit Date:October 18-20, 2021, PREA Audit Date or Scheduled Audit Date:July 17-19, 2017.