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July 17, 2009
LA: Tallulah: closed male prison re-opens as women's prison run by parish sheriff
DOC moves 75 females to facility in Tallulah
By Matthew Hamilton • July 16, 2009
Tallulah's prison has a new name to go along with its new purpose.
Formerly known as the Steve Hoyle Rehabilitation Center, the prison is now called the Louisiana Transition Center for Women, according to Pam LaBorde, communications director for the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
Last month, DOC announced the facility will house the state's first re-entry program for female offenders.
The prison will offer General Educational Development degrees, skills training and job application resources for female prisoners within one year of their release.
For the next several weeks, LaBorde said the Transition Center itself will be transitioning.
She said all male prisoners have been transferred out, and female prisoners began moving in July 6.
LaBorde estimated the DOC has moved 75 female prisoners into the facility and will continue until the population reaches 550 females, 225 of whom will be involved with the re-entry program.
On July 26, the responsibility for running the prison will fall to the Madison Parish Sheriff's Office.
Previously, the facility housed youth offenders as the privately run Swanson Correctional Center for Youth-Madison Parish Unit. The state later took over the prison, renamed it Steve Hoyle and offered drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.
In light of the state's budget constraints, DOC originally put the facility up for private bid twice, asking more than $21 million for the property before deciding to use the prison for the female re-entry program.
LaBorde said Steve Hoyle's drug rehabilitation program and many of its participants were transferred to Forcht-Wade Correctional Center in Keithville. To make room for the new prisoners, DOC moved Forcht-Wade's IMPACT program, a boot camp for prisoners, to the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel.
LaBorde said future personnel moves will be up to Madison Parish Sheriff Larry Cox. Cox was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20090716/NEWS01/907150352/-1/NEWSFRONT2/DOC-moves-75-females-to-facility--in-Tallulah
Posted by lois at July 17, 2009 11:19 AM