bent county correctional facility closing

The facility is owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Colorado Department of . Given this long-term trend, the obvious question is whether we still need these two prisons. "Now that the political winds have changed and the attitudes toward this industry have changed, we're being left in the cold," MacDonnell said. 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). Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Visitors can bring quarters or small bills to load up to $20 on a vending machine card. Your Commissioners support keeping the private prison open and are holding this meeting to ensure Denver hears from you. Bent County Correctional Facility is a privately run institution located in Las Animas Colorado. Brakkes analysis for the Joint Budget Committee also found that if the two prisons were to close, the state would not have enough medium-security beds at other facilities where it could move the inmates. CoreCivic offers benefits including health insurance, a 401(k) matching savings and retirement plan, paid time off and education opportunities. Allen said that if legislators are to discuss eliminating private prisons, they need an accurate view of how theyre performing. Just an overall industry as if it's inherently evil. Allen suggested lawmakers consider something with adults they already do in the juvenile system: When the system reaches capacity, administrators determine the least-risky kids to release. It would be a strong, negative, and lasting impact on our community. Both are owned by CoreCivic and contracted with the state's Department of Corrections and house about 2700 inmates between the two. What happens next at the Colorado Springs site is as up-in-the-air as the public policy. 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. Today, Colorado has a steadily dropping inmate population and one of the worst recidivism rates in the nation. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "This company is on the decline in an industry that is burning out. Both are owned by CoreCivic and. Send updated visiting hours on Correctional Department letterhead to. Ethical concerns centered on an industry that persists on continued incarceration of a certain percentage of the state's population were a big motivation for the two main sponsors of the bill. 5501 Virginia Way, Suite 110 Mailroom staff will reject anything containing contraband, cash, personal checks, or money orders. 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 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. The committee passed four amendments to House Bill 1019 and the bill itself, unanimously. The department is 7% of the state budget, he told the JBC. The study done for the private prisons atBentand Crowley Correctional Facilities, owned and operated byCoreCivic, concluded that the prisons should remain open for now, largely due to the negative economic impact closure could have on the areas. GEO is entertaining offers. He also serves as director for the board ofSoutheast Health Groupand is board chairman for CDS Policy Control. The phone number is (719) 456-0452 if . Inmate Locator. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committed worked late into the evening last Wednesday with representatives from Bent and Crowley counties in attendance to craft a delicately worded compromise on a bill that could provide a lifeline for the two facilities. State prison inmates are able to make calls with: Calling Cards. Facility Information Name of Facility: Bent County Correctional Facility Physical Address: 11560 County Road FF. Bent County Correctional Facility is a privately run institution located in Las Animas Colorado. 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 All local input will be delivered to Colorado Legislators. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Visitors will not be allowed back into the facility once they leave. The General Assembly is looking to add about $3 million to reopen one tower there to solve the immediate 126-bed housing crisis caused by the CMRC closure. For media inquiries, please contact the Public Affairs team at PublicAffairs@CoreCivic.com. Private prisons are a dangerous alliance for county governments. BENT COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Hospitals and Health Care Las Animas, Colorado 11 followers Bent County generated $2.6 million in revenue for the county and eight. 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. It's because they're not prepared to succeed. The Bent County Correctional Facility is a private medium-security prison for men located in Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado. CoreCivic has been dealing with a staffing crisis over the last several years,. I just don't see that," said Bent County Commissioner Kim MacDonnell. The rate increase will allow CoreCivic to pay its correctional officers a starting wage of $22 per hour, according to the DOC. Becker said the lower pay makes it harder for private prisons to retain staff; both private prisons inBentandCrowleycounties suffer a turnover rate "in excess of 50% annually" because employees leave those positions for better pay with the state. The latest breaking news, delivered straight to your email! That came up during a Jan. 28 hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. The companys leadership and human resources teams make an effort to talk with staff about any issues or concerns they may have, Davio added. La Junta Tribune-Democrat. Gov. The Department of Corrections reported a turnover rate of 22.9% in November 2021, according to a December presentation to the Joint Budget Committee. Revize Corrections is a challenging career, he wrote. "It's a free-for-all in those places, which is not only detrimental to rehabilitation, but also (leads to) criminal activity as they are coming out. This proposal would cost $1.45 million in the current fiscal year and $4.32 million next fiscal year. The facility houses Male Offenders who are convicted for crimes which come under Colorado state and federal laws. Gurule said the mission of incarceration should always be to reform and prepare inmates to rejoin society and asserted that private prisons do not have proper incentive to reform or to rehabilitate their inmates. 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. But that was of little comfort to county commissioners from Bent and Crowley counties, where those two private prisons are located. One major change places the study on the impacts of closing private prisons on rural counties into the hands of the Department of Local Affairs instead of the Department of Corrections. It might be possible to be too obviously racist. Tuesday night was supposed to be the first of two community feedback sessions as part of that feasibility study. If you find yourself in the town of Las Animas, chances are youre either passing through or paying a visit to Bent Countys largest economic driver. The Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center will be an empty jailhouse by March 7, driven out by politics and money. Dear Mr. Lipton, I am sending the documents you requested that the City of Las Animas has for the Bent County Correctional Facility. Jared Polis doles out $1.67 billion in federal aid to state agencies and local governments, JBC gets down to hard part of budget exercise: cuts to K-12 education, Budget writers decide to use forecast with a lower shortfall to cover for 2020-21. Mr. Virgil Ensey. Gurule suggested thatBentandCrowleycounties leverage their positions to get the state to develop a programming budget that would incentivize "the right company" to come to their areas. I am mailing them today (December 26, 2014). 615-242-5826. 2020 Bent County, CO. All rights reserved. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. That was after the areas previous economic driver, a VA hospital, shut its doors. Bent County Commissioner Chuck Netherton said closing the two. Crowley County Correctional Facility Customer base: Colorado Department of Corrections - Facility Type: Medium Security, Owned since 2003 For updated visitation schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, click here . Photos by Marianne Goodland, Colorado Politics, Photo by Marianne Goodland/Colorado Politics. All rights reserved. We are attempting to move in a direction where we will not rely on private prisons through a change from private to state management, she said. Inmates take part in reciting the three daily affirmations, Attitude, Credo and The Choice is Mine, at the Cheyenne Mountain Re-Entry Center on Oct. 28, 2005. 0 (BCCF). The incarceration rate in Colorado decreased by 24% between 2010 and 2019 (pre-Covid). It now heads to Senate Appropriations. Theyve held hiring events that have drawn DOC, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the El Paso County Sheriffs Office. Bunk rooms, many that housed eight inmates each, had been cleaned and mattresses turned. On the day, Jan. 29, that Colorado Politics visited the facility, the third floor was vacant. CoreCivic has invested in commercial advertising, participated in public events, and attempted to recruit community members through job boards, military bases, local colleges, social media and local hiring events, Davio said. I think my exact words were, he could be the first Governor in Colorado history to bankrupt two of the poorest counties in the state of Colorado, Netherton said. Lexipol. For updated visitation schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, Customer base: Colorado Department of Corrections - Facility Type: Medium-Security, Owned since 1996. Poor working conditions, housing options and other factors may be the reasons why people do not want to work there. The Crowley County Correctional Facility is a medium-security facility located in Olney Springs. There is a substantial cost difference in staffing between private and state-run facilities.". Visit Website. It has become the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for correctional professionals nationwide. Access Securepak carries over 1,000 different items in the following categories: In a world where rehabilitation was emphasized over incarceration, criminal justice reform advocates argued it didnt make sense for the state to keep supporting an industry that benefits from filling prison beds. Douglas County Republican representative Ransom doesnt venture a lot of opinions of justice reform or the politics driving private prisons out of the state. Joint Budget Committee votes to close Skyline prison in Caon City, Gov. My approach is the numbers, she said. "My recommendation is for our leaders to work hard now to recruit companies looking for a new home inColorado, like a company in the cannabis cultivation and processing industry," Gurule said: "A $60 million industry that has and will continue to see exponential growth as policies shift in favor of that industry. Facility Locator What We Do Safety Community Properties For Families Reentry CoreCivic For Families Information on COVID-19 When a loved one is incarcerated, we understand that it can be a stressful time. "I don't know why it's being targeted. Please do not leave more than one voicemail or email per visit request. InNovember 2020, theBent CountyDemocrat reported that a nurse who had worked at theBent Countyfacility,Dannette Karapetian, was suingCoreCivicand alleging retaliation over her complaints about discrimination and quality of patient care. [1] CCA has run the facility since 1996, and it has an . You have permission to edit this article. "This original bill was to close private prisons by the year 2025," Netherton said. "We have the opportunity to close down some of these private prisons, and prisons in general, because we don't need them in the state and we can reprioritize those funds for something else," Herod said. Around the same time, the nurse "began expressing concerns (to another supervisor) about the quality of patient care the inmates were receiving," the filing states. Joint Budget Committee Democrats: We can't cut our way out of the shortfall, Joint Budget Committee suspends property tax exemption for seniors, veterans, Joint Budget Committee cuts $724 million from K-12 in final attempt to balance the 2020-21 budget, Joint Budget Committee's decision to cut millions from K-12 roils education community, Colorado House debates 2020-21 state budget; up first: the homestead property tax exemption, Meds from vending machines? If thats the case, the state wouldnt have pay the county any property taxes. Your return address. The Polis administration considers corrections a core function of state government, and believes its the states responsibility to take care of the facilities and employees who provide that function, said Aaron Greco, a lobbyist for the Department of Corrections. Reducing its beds will save $788,630 in 2020-21 and $841,220 the following year, both general fund costs. It is contracted through the Department of Correction to incarcerate male offenders. For 35 years the private sector contractors have worked with both Republicans and Democrats on issues pertaining to corrections and detention, said Wilkes, a former executive director of the conservative American Rising political action committee. 615-263-3140, Fax (for employment verification only): The state cant afford more costly mistakes, especially based on thin information, Allen said. That action freed up beds all over the state prison system, and Skyline already has 36 vacant beds. 11560 Road FF75 In-state visitors may not schedule a visit more than 14 days in advance. House Bill 1019 comes from the Prison Population Management Interim Study Committee. 75 City, State, Zip: Las Animas, Colorado, 81054 Mailing Address (if different from above): SAA City, State, Zip: SAA The Facility Is: Military X Private for Profit Private not for Profit Municipal County State Federal (719) 456-2610. All mail must include: The inmate's name. "They are barely being served proper portions of food. Colorado Newsline provides fair and accurate reporting on politics, policy and other stories of interest to Coloradans. So that means that we are increasing our public safety risks when we don't provide the right programming within jail and the transition out.".