Corrections Corporation of America and other operators of private prisons have drawn fire from public employees unions for allegedly paying lower wages and straining public services in communities.
However, CCA also earned kudos from a police detective and town government official in Florence, where the company operates two prisons.
CCA pays correctional officers only $10 to $12 an hour while correctional officers in Arizona state prisons earn $18 to $20 an hour, said Chuck Foy, executive director of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association. The Phoenix-based union has about 3,500 members.
CCA officials could not be reached for comment.
Barrett Marson, a public information officer for the Arizona Department of Corrections, said he does not know the pay scales in private prisons. However, he said starting pay for correctional officers at state prisons is in the mid-$30,000 range.
Private prisons "also put a strain on law enforcement (and) local prosecutors because the private prison folks cannot investigate crimes," Foy said.
However, Florence has a "pretty low crime rate" despite being home to 10 prisons or jails, said Jess Knudson, public information officer for the town. He added Florence has more inmates at 17,000 than residents at 10,000.
"We like to acknowledge our police force," Knudson said. He added the Pinal County Sheriff's Office is based in Florence because it is the county seat.
Florence Police Detective Walt Hunter commented, "I can't remember the last time I responded to CCA." He has been on the job six years.
"We definitely have a good working relationship with CCA," Hunter said. "First of all, we work a lot in cooperative efforts. We assist them with investigations."
He continued, "These guys have always been very cooperative, very professional. There is nothing I can say bad about them."
Foy faults private prisons for allegedly hiring correctional officers with less training than their public-sector counterparts. He said the Department of Corrections requires 360 hours of training, compared with 120 hours for CCA.
CCA's website states all new full-time security employees receive a minimum of 120 hours of training during their first year of employment. Courses cover cultural diversity, defensive tactics, emergency procedures, firearms training, hostage situations, radio communications and other subject matters.
Private prisons also are exempt from public records laws, Foy said.
Marson said the exemption applies because they are privately owned.
He said he does not know how many private prisons operate in the state because they do not have to report to the Department of Corrections.
Posted: Saturday, January 02, 2010
Article comment by:
Frank
First of all I don't where the person received his info from. CCA correctional officers start out at 21 plus an hour. 16 in eloy. So I have no clue what the hell you are talking about. And as far as CCA being dangerous the state of AZ has had more escapes in the 2 years then CCA has had in it's entire history of being CCA back in 1983. Also CCA does have a officers union which is voluntarily joined at the officers discretion. Currently pinal county is rank for the top 2 counties hiring in this country because of CCA. I think this person is misrepresenting facts.
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Article comment by:
sam
Monte : You got it in one line! You of limited intellect want to work for Concentration Canmps of America move to Florence. And take Old Town Patty The Newest Lapdog with ya.
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Article comment by:
No to a Prison!
The town puppets will be for this at the Jan meeting no matter the political cost or betrayal of the people. It is to keep the Fains afloat, its appears from talk on the street the Fains are awash in debt, and lawsuits and this prison is desperate last measure.
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Well of COURSE the union is railing against CCA; the company doesn't use union employees. No wonder they can operate prisons cheaper than the state.
Posted: Sunday, December 20, 2009
Article comment by:
Art
Where will the extra WATER come from for the prison? We are running low as it is now, and an industry that employs 5,000 people plus their keepers will bankrupt the water supply in a couple of years.
Posted: Sunday, December 20, 2009
Article comment by:
tom
To the ones who say they need jobs the armed forces is hiring. If you can not get in there well you will never work in a prison. Ever been to Florence a hotel, gas station, some apartments and run down homes some great jobs. The ones that make good money at the prison do not live there. Not good enough for them. If they build here the ones making good money will live in Prescott not PV. Their tax money will go to Prescott. Can the paper tell us how many PV chamber members live in Prescott? The Fains and chamber members are the only ones who stand to make any money. The taxpayer will pay for the tax breaks. It seems the ones who support things like this do not live any where close to it. People do not be fooled by groups that never tell the truth. Just what they want you to know. This is why there should be no private meetings in the government. All meetings should be public.
Posted: Sunday, December 20, 2009
Article comment by:
Seems They Said 5,000 inamtes up to Maximum Security for Prison Valley
Gee if its so wonderful in Florence and is the main industry, build it in Florence. We will even throw in a town Government, an arena, and a genuine replica of a rusty WW2 hangar.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
(Site administrator's note: This comment was removed because it violated our Terms of Use Agreement)
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
That is slave labor to work in a PRISON!!! CCA should be shut down. What is wrong with our gov't people.
Florence and Eloy officials have long been in the pocket of CCA. The mayor of Eloy, for instance, used to tell visitors how wonderful the corporation was for the town. What he neglected to say is that he had been working for them for many years.
The first poster is right. There has been a long history of escapes and riots at CCA prisons including the one at Florence. Six Alaska prisoners escaped at one time, for instance, and were finally captured as far away as the extreme Northern California coast.
Florence police have "investigated" the abuse of prisoners by poorly trained and paid guards and were unable to make the simplest cases.
(Site administrator's note: A portion of this comment was removed because it violated our Terms of Use Agreement)
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
INCARCERATING PEOPLE "FOR PROFIT" IS IN A WORD....WRONG!
Even if one does not ask or pretends not to see the rope and the flashing red flag draped around the philosophical question standing solemnly at attention in the middle of the room, it remains apparent that the mere presence of a private “for profit” driven prison business in our country undermines the U.S Constitution and subsequently the credibility of the American criminal justice system. In fact, until all private prisons in America have been abolished and outlawed, “the promise” of fairness and justice at every level of this country’s judicial system will remain unattainable. We must restore the principles and the vacant promise of our judicial system. Our government cannot continue to "job-out" its obligation and neglect its duty to the individuals confined in the correctional and rehabilitation facilities throughout this nation, nor can it ignore the will of the people that it was designed to serve and protect. There is urgent need for the good people of this country to emerge from the shadows of indifference, apathy, cynicism, fear, and those other dark places that we migrate to when we are overwhelmed by frustration and the loss of hope.
My hope is that you will support the National Public Service Council to Abolish Private Prisons (NPSCTAPP) with a show of solidarity by signing "The Single Voice Petition"
http://www.petitiononline.com/gufree2/petition.html
Please visit our website for further information: http://www.npsctapp.blogspot.com
–Ahma Daeus
"Practicing Humanity Without A License"…
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
monte
If Florence is so happy with Prisons then why not just build it there? All the experienced prison people in PV can move.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Not Worth It!
$10 to $12 an hour to work in a prison? No thanks. Beleive me, it is not worth it for that salary. Work in a jail or a prison for a while and you'll see what I mean.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Give' Em Hell Harry
Since CCA pays correctional officers only $10 to $12 an hour while correctional officers in Arizona state prisons earn $18 to $20 an hour, thats reason enough for them not to build here. Who needs more jobs that don't pay a living wage and place a burden on the social and law enforcement services of the county? Guess where the difference in wages is going to go - back to the out of state corporation and it's officers, not here in the community. I'll bet they don't purchase much locally either. Less training also means more potential problems, especially because of the greater turnover in personnel due to the low wages. And another great thing is they are accountable to no one here, not the county or the state. If it's such a great idea maybe the state should be the ones to build here instead. I doubt if the local Sheriff in Florence is going to say anything bad about CCA if he wants to keep his job either.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Put it on county land, not city
Courier Please keep the articles coming as it will only help to keep this Prison out of PV. Why has nobody suggested locating it in the county? The jobs will still be local, the employees will still add to the economy. Why do any of the Towns in the tri-city area need the label as a "prison town"?
Somehow I think not putting it in the county is just a greedy selfish act by a few land owners and politicians.
County placed prison is a win win for everyone but Fain and Skoog.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
A search on the internet for private prisons will bring up numerous articles and studies. Care must be taken as many are written by pre-paid grants from prison unions or pro private jail foundations. However, the truth seem to say a town spendimg millions to provide infrastructure will find a high water use facility that does NOT improve the local economy. If fact it drives down home prices and is a disincentive for other prospective businesses. Their wage scales are seldom met and staff turnover is 60-95% per year which leads to gaps in security and lawsuits from prisoner abuse. The reason for this is the low wages and benefits. Not good for Prescott Valley in 2007 and absolutely NOT in 2010.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Steve
Once again the Courier prints speculation and errors. There is no RFP yet so no one knows what level of security the state wants for this possible facility. State officials have indicated it will be a low to medium security facility but no one knows for sure until the RFP is issued. Get your facts straight please.
Unions complain about all nonunion companies. They spin the information to support their desire to unionize all companies and their workers.
CCA officials have stated that starting pay for correctional officers will be in the $16 per hour range. Hopefully that is accurate.
I have done my research on CCA and they are a solid, well capitalized, and efficient company. From what I have been able to find, the communities in which they currently operate facilities all consider CCA to be an excellent community partner and employer.
I will welcome this quality company to our community.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Ken Kopczynski
I find it interesting that Jess Knudson, public information officer for Florence forgets the 2 murderers escaping CCA's prison in Sept '07. How about the convict who escaped GEO in May '06? Check these prison's records at our webpage: www.privateci.org. Go to our Arizona Hall of Shame. Get the facts, not the PR.
