Eloy leaders point to prisons as reason for population loss

Eloy

Prisoners take a class at La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy, Ariz. The prison is operated by Corrections Corp. of America. /Dresner Partners: Corrections

By David Yankus | Eloy Enterprise

City leaders are blaming the local private prisons for a recent population decline recorded for Eloy.

But that’s because of the fluctuating number of inmates, not any negative perception of the community generated by having the prisons.

In the latest U.S. Census results from last year, Eloy lost 260 residents, or about 1.5 percent of its population, in the 12-month period leading up to July 1, 2014.

City officials, educators and community leaders were asked the possible reasons for the population decline and what could be done to address the problem. The consensus from most seemed to be that the decrease in Eloy’s population is because of one reason — prisons.

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