$28.4M to run prison sought

Lawmakers seem to be under a spell, stop prevention programs so that we can justify building new prisons. This lawmaker theme does nothing for public safety, in fact, it assures there will be more victims and further wasteful spending.

2-27-2012 Washington DC and Mississippi:

Federal facility in Yazoo City to open early next year

WASHINGTON — Federal officials have proposed spending $28.4 million next year to operate a high-security federal prison in Yazoo City, a move local and congressional officials hope will boost the region's economy.

Construction of the 1,216-bed facility is nearly complete and should be ready to open by early 2013, federal justice officials said.

Low- and medium-security prisons already operate 36 miles north of Jackson, in the same general location of the high-security prison under construction. Congress approved funding in 2009 to build the $205 million high-security facility.

Yazoo City officials and Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the new prison should spur economic growth in the area.

The prison will be one of the largest employers in the city behind the school system and CF Industries, which bought Terra Nitrogen in 2010.

"It would add to our economic stability," said Yazoo City Mayor McArthur Straughter. "Some of the new hires hopefully would reside in the city."

Straughter said he has talked to federal prison officials and local housing officials about housing for potential employees. Federal officials have said they intend to search locally for people to work at the prison, Straughter said.

The city's unemployment rate was 8 percent as of December, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The project is expected to create 416 positions, including 218 for correctional officers.

The city already has benefitted economically from spending by prison construction workers, who are staying at local hotels. Opening the prison would bring more customers to area stores and restaurants, city officials said.

The operating funding is part of the Obama administration's proposed budget for fiscal 2013, which begins Oct. 1.

Justice officials said construction of the prison aims to reduce crowding at federal high-security prisons from 56 percent to 47 percent by the end of fiscal 2014.

"Expanding capacity is just one way that we are addressing overcrowding," said Adora Andy, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department. "The budget also includes a number of other proposals that will help alleviate crowding, including expansion of good-conduct time credits, compassionate release and the residential drug abuse treatment program."

In a statement, Cochran said the local project "will give Mississippi a larger role in meeting federal corrections needs."

"The point is that we need adequate prison space for dangerous criminals, or we could be putting the public at risk," he said.

Congress must first approve the budget, and the push to cut spending could mean trouble for individual projects proposed in the president's budget.

"Congress and the administration are facing a difficult budget cycle this year, but I hope we will be able to work cooperatively on the fiscal 2013 budget so that this funding request can be enacted," Cochran said.

Straughter said he's not worried.

"If you build it, you have to have funds to operate it," he said.

Federal officials will find money for prisons even if they cut funding for prevention programs, Straughter said. He called prison-building an "inflation-proof industry."

"Expanding capacity is just one way that we are addressing overcrowding."

Adora Andy, Justice Department spokeswoman. ..Source.. by Deborah Barfield Berry