The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

The commission's positive vote is a recommendation to the Town Council, which will have the final say on the matter next month.

If the rezoning is approved and CSC wins the contract, the prison would create more than 300 jobs paying approximately $20 per hour. The facility must pay its employees the wage specified by the U.S. Dept. of Labor for this area, Rau said. He presented the commissioners a list of Dept. of Labor wages that currently specify $19.77 per hour for a detention officer. By the time the facility actually opens, the going rate could be $22, Rau said.

The facility will take about a year to build, but it's unknown when that year might begin. Rau couldn't say how soon CSC will know if it's the successful bidder.

He said after the meeting adjourned that the bids are now going through environmental studies as required by the National Environmental Protection Act.

If CSC's bid is successful, it will be its third prison in Florence.

CSC, based in Florida, has operated the medium security Arizona State Prison-Florence West at Arizona 79 and Diversion Dam Road for approximately eight years. The company recently won a state contract to build a second prison next door to house sex offenders. That prison should break ground in mid-October, Rau said.

"Florence has been a good community to business with," Rau said after the meeting.

Appearance of prison

He told the commission the new immigrant detention center would be "as far off the road as possible," buffered by trees as well as parking.

If CSC wins the contract, it will be a 1,000-bed facility for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (formerly INS).

In response to questions from commissioner Jeff Wooley, Rau said the prison would be built for low security. "These individuals are detainees; they're only offense is their immigration status." But he also said the facility would be adaptable to other uses.

As for security around the building, Rau said it won't "have a real heavy appearance from the exterior." It will be fenced and the parking area will be secure. There won't be a large recreation yard. The average detainee's stay there will be short.

The facility would bring all immigration processing activities under one roof.

Assuming this third federal contract is similar to the first two CSC has built, it will probably complement and replace some of the functions at the current immigrant detention facility in Florence, which is full, Rau said.

Three Planning & Zoning commission members, one who was present by phone, heard testimony on the matter Aug. 17 before unanimously approving the rezoning. The fourth commissioner was absent and the fifth seat is vacant.

The commission previously deadlocked on the issue in May, when both a motion to approve, and a motion to deny, died for lack of a second. The issue proceeded in June to the Town Council, which held a public hearing and heard testimony, but ultimately sent it back to the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Town Planning Director Larry Quick told the commissioners one reason for the earlier indecision is a petition, which stated inaccurately that the prison would house sex offenders, was circulated against the rezoning. "Whether they would have signed knowing the actual facts is unknown."

He noted the town has encouraged prison growth on Arizona 79 and "private prisons have been good neighbors and contributed to the local economy."

He added the property owner to the north has recently applied to rezone his entire property commercial, but wants his objection to the industrial zone to remain on the record.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15098661&BRD=1817&PAG=461& amp;dept_id=222076&rfi=6

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