DOJ to phase out private prisons: Pinal facilities not affected by decision
Correctional units operated by federal agency targeted
Florence Correctional Center, a CCA Prison/Google Maps
The Obama administration announced Thursday it will phase out its contracts with private prisons, but authorities say the decision shouldn’t impact facilities in Pinal County.
The decision announced by the Justice Department comes after an audit this month found that private facilities have more safety and security problems than the government-run prisons. The federal prison population has been declining due to changes in sentencing policies over the past three years, reducing the need for private prisons.
The private prisons are operated by three companies — Corrections Corporation of America, GEO Group Inc. and Management and Training Corporation.
CCA operates six prisons in Arizona, all in Pinal County, which employ more than 2,000 people. None of the CCA prisons is affected by the DOJ decision. This decision impacts only facilities contracted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
