Bent County Correctional Facility Inmate Records Search, Colorado Gov. Legislative leaders arent happy about being painted in a corner by a prison crisis, and the need to make hasty decisions with long-range implications. For those counties and for the integrity of our justice system, the Department of Corrections should run all the prison facilities. unexpectedly shut down a re-entry facility housing hundreds of inmates in Colorado Springs. Foster pointed to what his private facility offers that the state will have to replicate: cognitive behavioral training, sex offender management, classes on building resumes, job searches and interview skills, plus financial planning, substance abuse treatment and basic education. Bent County generated $2.6 million in revenue for the county and eight. "Twenty-two states have banned the use of private prisons," Gurule said. There goes our million and a half out of our 4 point something million dollar budget, he said. The prison generates 54% of Crowley Countys property tax revenue. Send updated visiting hours on Correctional Department letterhead to. DENVER After a bill aimed at reducingColorado'sincarcerated population passed last year,BentandCrowleycounties have been wrestling with the implications of a future less reliant on private prisons. Those who work at the private prison including its current warden, with decades of experience at DOC say the problems are mostly minor, and that the departments own annual reports support that assertion. Littwin: Good news from the Dilbert front. According to his memo, that's about one-third of the total prison population. Bent County Correctional Facility - Prison Inmate Search & Locator 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. The bill's first draft of called forColoradoto close its private prisons by 2025. Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. In 2021, DOC and CoreCivic data show a correctional officer turnover rate of 107% at the Bent County prison and 126% at the Crowley County prison, according to a Friday memo for state lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee, prepared by committee staff. Have the visiting hours for this facility changed? GEO also has offered its employees opportunities at any GEO prison, even those around the world, Foster said. ", First published on January 27, 2021 / 11:20 PM. Newsline is based in Denver, and coverage of activities at the Capitol are central to its mission, but its reporters are devoted to providing reliable information about topics that concern readers in all parts of the state, from Lamar to Dinosaur, from Durango to Sterling. The rate increase will allow CoreCivic to pay its correctional officers a starting wage of $22 per hour, according to the DOC. The bill is in line with the administrations goal to eventually reduce and eliminate the use of private prisons, said DOC lobbyist Greco, although for now we cant operate without our private partners.. Ethical concerns central to study on closing Colorado private prisons Douglas County Republican representative Ransom doesnt venture a lot of opinions of justice reform or the politics driving private prisons out of the state. The La Junta Tribune-Democrat inquired about the status of the lawsuit withCoreCivic. Mr. Virgil Ensey. The facility is owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Colorado Department of Corrections and houses Colorado inmates. The public definitely has a stake in the matter, said Alexandra Wilkes, the national spokeswoman for a private prison trade association that started late last year, the Day 1 Alliance. The teachers at Crowley helped 97 inmates earn their GED between July 1, 2019, and February 29, 2020 more than any other correctional facility in Colorado. "This original bill was to close private prisons by the year 2025," Netherton said. 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. Photos by Marianne Goodland, Colorado Politics, Photo by Marianne Goodland/Colorado Politics. Phone Number. Bent County leaders worry potential prison closure could - KOAA 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). Bent County Correctional Facility - PrisonPro 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. 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. The Bent and Crowley correctional facilities are on average one-third cheaper to operate than comparable medium security state-run facilities, with the Bent County prison costing about $61.78 million annually to operate and the Crowley County private prison costing about $62.28 million, according to information from Karl Becker of CGL Companies . In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to give friends and family members peace of mind, keeping you informed every step of the way. You have permission to edit this article. "Sex offender treatment, drug treatment, cognitive behavior therapy state facilities tend to have a lot more of those programs than the privates do," Becker said. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Private facilities are similar to regular Colorado Department of Corrections facilities, except that they are run by a private corporation. PDF Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Audit Report Adult - CoreCivic Gurule said private prisons make their money by incarcerating inmates and described their business models as "essentially making incarcerated people a required commodity for financial gain.". Between Jan. 10 and Jan. 29, DOC relocated 433 inmates to state prisons in Sterling, Rifle and Fremont County. Mistakes were made when the state announced it was shuttering Cheyenne Mountain, which prompted the company to exercise its 60-day pullout clause, said Rep. Kim Ransom, a Republican from Douglas County who sits on the Joint Budget Committee, the bipartisan panel of legislators charged with finding the money to manage the states next steps. Bent County Correctional Facility Roster & Inmate Search, Bent County 615-263-3000, Fax: Now, they are hoping people will speak out, to keep it from happening. Of course when it closed, our little town just kind of fell apart, Netherton said. POLL: How will the Rockies fare this season in the NL West? 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. identifies important training information, interacts with each other and Commissioners in Bent and Crowley counties have a pretty good idea about what would happen to their counties should those two prisons close. Phone Number. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. To achieve those savings, DOC would have to close nine of the 19 state-operated prisons and release 5,000 offenders, he said. Bent County Correctional Facility. Opinion: When the lease expires, landlords should let tenants stay if they keep paying the rent, acknowledges that wages may not be the only issue, incarceration rate in Colorado decreased by 24% between 2010 and 2019, one of the worst recidivism rates in the nation, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Jared Polis announced Nov. 1 that he planned to pull the plug on the states private prison deal by the end of the current fiscal year. Some public officials have acknowledged the arguments in favor closingColorado'sprivate prisons but still make a case for keeping them open. Private prisons are no longer the right solution. Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, is co-sponsoring legislation this session that could end private prison operations in the state. We do have a Private Prison Monitoring Unit that works directly with those facilities.. Jared Polis on Monday distributed more than $1 billion in federal dollars from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, but drew ire from Republicans and Joint Budget Committee members for leaving them out of the process. Address: Given this long-term trend, the obvious question is whether we still need these two prisons. Bent County Correctional Facility is a privately run institution located in Las Animas Colorado. Phone: 719-579-9580 Bent County Correctional Facility11560 Road FF75Las Animas, CO 81054, Inmate Name, IDBent County Correctional Facility11560 Road FF75Las Animas, CO 81054. Bent County Jail Address: 11100 County Road GG.5 Las Animas, CO 81054 Phone: 719-456-1363 Bent County Jail Commissary Carepacks Bent County Jail contracts with Access Securepak for families to send pre-determined packages of commissary items to your inmate. For media inquiries, please contact the Public Affairs team at PublicAffairs@CoreCivic.com. Primarily, a medium custody level facility CCCF offers programs focused on basic education, vocational, mental health, substance abuse, and reentry programs. 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. Private prison companies answer to CEOs and shareholders, not to the communities in which they operate. Becker observed that the state doesn't compensate private prisons for including such programs. Exceptions may be made for visitors from out-of-state. Get details about visiting this facility, sending mail, telephone and more. Colorado Prison Utilization StudyIMPORTANT PUBLIC MEETING - RESCHEDULEDYour chance to be heard!Crowley County: November 30, 2020 @ 5:30 p.m.Bent County: December 1, 2020 @ 5:30 p.m. ZOOM Webinar- Virtual Interactive MeetingLive meeting video feed (no feedback):Colorado Prison Utilization Study - Public HearingNote: livestream videos are delayed by several secondsPHONE- Listen and make comments:1-346-248-7799meeting ID: 949 6591 0073 #Participant ID: press # if you do not have onepassword: 499142request to speak *9 then WHEN CALLED UPON press*6 to unmuteIf you are unable to attend in person please comment to:https://rpiconsulting.checkbox.com/PrisonStudyPublicCommentBent Countys Private Prison is integral to the sustainability of our Community. https://rpiconsulting.checkbox.com/PrisonStudyPublicComment, Loss of Jobs Approx. That came up during a Jan. 28 hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. Recently, a movement to close private, for-profit prisons grew out of progressives desire for the state to shift its approach to criminal justice away from locking people up for long sentences, and toward reducing recidivism by providing people in prison with the services they needed to safely reenter the community. 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. Soon, the decision of whether to hand out millions more to a private prison company will be made by our General Assembly. Built in 1993, Bent County became Colorado's first privately run prison in 1996 when the Corrections Corporation of America bought it. The Housepassed the bill to much public outcry locally, but things slowed in theSenate, where it was amended to mandate a study on the community effects of closing the facilities, specifically including the economic impact inBent,CrowleyandOterocounties. 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. "If we close down one or two facilities we're going to save the state millions of dollars, period. It is contracted through the Department of Correction to incarcerate male offenders. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Bent County Correctional Facility | Hours, Phone No., Address - DoNotPay Is comparing Colorado Springs' and Denver's homeless populations fair or unfair? We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Staffing correctional facilities is a challenge that public and private facilities alike face in Colorado and across the country, Davio wrote. In order to keep facilities safe, candidates must be able to pass background screenings. House Bill 1019 comes from the Prison Population Management Interim Study Committee. "However, my opinion is that we cannot ethically support a company which makes a profit on the incarceration of human beings.". 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The counties do not want these prisons closed. A second prison, the La Vista Correctional Facility, a women's prison in Pueblo, was recommended by the governor's budget office for a reduction in bed capacity, also for budget reasons. For others, they've been fighting for two years over the issue. Inmates housed at this institution can obtain a GED, and a adult basic education, as well as a college correspondence course. 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 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 Back in the 1980s and 90s, when the number of inmates was surging across the country, cheap private prisons with fewer rehabilitative programs held appeal. The association includes both the GEO Group and CoreCivic, the private providers of Colorado incarceration. Now, they are hoping people will speak out, to keep it from happening. "The privates simply are not paid to have those facilities in their program components. Corrections is a challenging career, he wrote. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. 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. Bent County Correctional Facility, 11560 County Road Ff75, Los Animas, CO 81054. You can also search by state or job category. Comparable figure for private facilities is around $42,000. It's because of a recently passed Colorado House bill. As far as I know, thats never been done at the adult level, he said. COVER STORY | THE BUDGET BLACK HOLE: Will any sacred cows survive the unprecedented budget cuts? Anyone who arrives after 3pm will not be allowed to enter into a visiting session. 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? To be eligible to visit you must have an approved visitation application on file with Colorado DOC. "It is far from certain that the current population reduction, which is clearly connected to the coronavirus pandemic, is permanent," Allen wrote in a staff memo. Although the facilities inBentandCrowley Countydon't appear to be slated for closure at this time, their futures aren't readily apparent. Facility Information Name of Facility: Bent County Correctional Facility Physical Address: 11560 County Road FF. That could mean, pending a feasibility study, the bent county correctional facility could be shuttered. GEO, one of the nations two largest incarceration for profit corporations, operates prisons in multiple states as well as monitoring units for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Leaders lobbied the legislature, even met with Governor Jared Polis, who signed the bill into law, to seek compromise. They're not able to order canteen. 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. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Department of Corrections officials have said CMRC has not complied with contract obligations and has other performance deficiencies. Prison on the plains is a city unto itself | News | gazette.com And even if we reinvest in those communities we will still see a cost savings in the millions of dollars. TheBentandCrowleycorrectional facilities are on average one-third cheaper to operate than comparable medium security state-run facilities, with theBent Countyprison costing about $61.78 million annually to operate and theCrowley Countyprivate prison costing about $62.28 million, according to information fromKarl Beckerof CGL Companies, who spoke at theNov. 30virtualCrowley Countypublic input hearing. The study, performed byRPI Consultingand CGL Companies, also cited a lack of access to health and job programs within private southeast prisons inSoutheast Colorado. A Colorado Springs private prison will close next month. 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.