CCA to construct fourth prison in city
Grande Valley Newspapers Inc

By LINDSEY GEMME, Editor
October 11, 2007


A few more inmates will be heading into Eloy soon.

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) privately owns and operates three prisons in the city. The latest one, Saguaro Prison, opened in June of this year. Now CCA has plans of moving dirt this month on La Palma Correctional Center, another 3,060-bed facility, CCA's biggest area prison yet, on an 160-acre site just north of the northeast corner of Arica and La Palma Roads.

The projected completion date for the $205 million dollar project is by early next spring, 2009. But inmates are expected to begin arriving as early as the third quarter of 2008 after the first construction phase is completed.

After entering into an agreement contract this month with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to house almost 8,000 inmates, CCA anticipates that La Palma will be fully utilized by CDCR. The contract expires June 30, 2011.

Already the leading employer in Pinal County, the newest facility is estimated to provide another 585 new jobs to central Arizona. Combined with these new jobs, CCA will employ more than 2,300 Arizona professionals, with payroll exceeding $100 million annually.

Along with the job creation is the additional economic stimulation that comes with CCA's payment of annual property taxes, transaction privilege taxes, and utility payments. Plus, there are the additional construction-related jobs for an average of 400, and a peak of 600, workers in the region throughout the duration of the construction.

"For the past 14 years, Pinal County and southwest Arizona has experienced a steady increase in economic growth due to CCA's increased operations, and we are very proud to announce this further commitment to Arizona," said John Ferguson, CCA President and Chief Executive Officer.

"Annual property taxes and utility payments for this new capacity and all of our existing facilities alone account for an estimated $15.5 million. Combined with CCA paying $8 million in a transaction privilege tax for the construction of the La Palma Correctional Center, the city of Eloy, Pinal County and the state of Arizona will experience very meaningful economic vitality," said Ferguson.

According to the warden of CCA's most-recently opened facility, the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, CCA continues to offer meaningful careers with rapid advancement opportunities and competitive salaries and benefits.

"We have had tremendous success in hiring skilled professionals who are seeking not just a job, but a meaningful career. And with CCA being ranked as FORBES Magazine's 'Best Managed company in the United States in the area of business services', the opportunities with this new correctional center are significant," said Warden Daren Swenson.

Warden Swenson also noted CCA's commitment to community relations. "All of our correctional centers provide time and financial resources to many Pinal County programs, and we are proud to be increasing our presence and ability to give back to the community."

CCA currently operates two facilities in Florence: the Central Arizona Detention Center and the Florence Correctional Center. The three correctional centers in Eloy are the Red Rock Correctional Center, Saguaro Correctional Center and Eloy Detention Center.

Mayor of Eloy, Byron Jackson, met with CCA officials regarding the announcement of the new construction project and paid tribute to CCA's presence in central Arizona.

"Without a doubt, the taxpaying citizens in our growing area of Arizona owe a great deal to Corrections Corporation of America. As the largest taxpayer, CCA has brought jobs, jobs and more jobs. And, as importantly, the company's tax payments have made possible the further development of our city's infrastructure, funding for schools and other key community projects. CCA is a valuable contributor."

Though Jackson upholds this perspective as to CCA's being an extremely lucrative job-creating force in the area, a recent communication between he and Senior Vice President Tony Grande of CCA state customer relations asked CCA to take one step further.

"I truly believe that the city of Eloy has bent over backwards to accommodate the needs of CCA because the city fully understands the capital investment that you have provided to our community," he told Grande. "But also understanding that CCA is a private enterprise that its sole purpose is to profit from a return on its investment...The city of Eloy is grateful for this investment, but I would also like to ask CCA to go deeper into our community by donating a much-needed community center. The center would be utilized not only to serve our children but the children of CCA employees-often single moms who typically work odd hours and have no other resources in providing after-school day care or activities, something high on the governor's list of priorities statewide."

The city has been allocated some federal assistance funds to help with the purchase of land, but that's all it would cover. The lot would remain dormant without sufficient monies to initiate construction of the building, he says.

"I call on CCA to 'put-up or shut-up,'" Jackson added. "This could be a highly commendable and recognizable donation to the city that could be seen statewide if not nationally. I believe the governor of our state wants to know that public-private partnerships amongst private prisons goes beyond razing walls to house felons. She wants the assurance that we are making every opportunity to keep the children of our communities out of the state prison systems and this would be a great gesture in solidifying those partnerships and assuring that we are making those efforts."

"We are hoping to learn more about this project," Marketing Director Steven Owen told the Enterprise when asked about the request.


Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. 2007
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18907932&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=222077&rfi=6