News Articles
This site contains over 2,000 news articles, legal briefs and publications related to for-profit companies that provide correctional services. Most of the content under the "Articles" tab below is from our Prison Legal News site. PLN, a monthly print publication, has been reporting on criminal justice-related issues, including prison privatization, since 1990. If you are seeking pleadings or court rulings in lawsuits and other legal proceedings involving private prison companies, search under the "Legal Briefs" tab. For reports, audits and other publications related to the private prison industry, search using the "Publications" tab.
For any type of search, click on the magnifying glass icon to enter one or more keywords, and you can refine your search criteria using "More search options." Note that searches for "CCA" and "Corrections Corporation of America" will return different results.
Corrections Corporation of America Announces Closing of Youngstown Prison
The 2,016-bed Northeast Ohio Correctional Center last housed 350 prisoners from the District of Columbia. The Nashville-based CCA said the decision to close the prison was made after the District of Columbia decided not to renew its contract. The U. S. Bureau of Prisons is taking over jurisdiction of the D.C. prison system and plans to use other prisons.
Some laid-off employees might be offered jobs at CCA locations elsewhere, according to the company, but no specific numbers were mentioned. CCA runs 65 prisons with about 61,000 beds.
The Youngstown prison, which at one time housed up to 1,500 D.C. prisoners, has faced various problems over past years, which we have highlighted previously in PLN (see PLN March 2000). These problems include the 1997 stabbing deaths of two prisoners by other prisoners, a prisoner class-action lawsuit alleging excessive use of force by guards, and a 1998 prison escape.
Youngstown Mayor George McKelvey said the closing would be devastating economically to the city, which is still trying to recover from the loss of thousands of steel jobs more than 20 years ago. The prison had an annual payroll of about $11 million and paid the city $250,000 in income tax in 2000.
"They are one of the largest employers in the city," McKelvey told AP. "We're hopeful this notice is a proactive approach and they'll find contracts and fill the facility."
Source: Associated Press.
