The City of Taft approved a contract with Los Angeles County Monday to house 512 inmates at the Taft Community Correctional Facility.
When the state closed some facilities under prison realignment, many counties were left high and dry, looking for a place to house criminals, including Los Angeles. When the state closed the Taft Community Correctional Facility last year, the city was left with a huge unemployment bill.
City Councilman Dave Noerr says this new deal with L.A. County will bring those jobs back and give the city up to $75 million to house inmates.
The agreement still has to go back for final approval from L.A. County but, as it stands, 260 inmates should start to move in by September until the facility reaches full capacity at 512 inmates.
The deal will span five years and bring in $31,000 a day to the city, or more than $11 million per year.
"It's a contract that will save them money, open a CCF again in Taft. So it would employ people who used to be employed there or some new ones. We can house them roughly 50 percent less than what it costs L.A. County to do it, and still make a little bit of money to help fund our police department and fire department as well," said Noerr.
If L.A. County had room to house the same inmates, it would cost almost $60,000 a day.
After the state prison realignment closed the Taft facility on November 30th, 2011, the city was left covering the unemployment costs for laying off the prison guards. The city figured unemployment costs into the new agreement so they won't be left out to dry again if L.A. County ends the agreement for any reason.
Residents we talked to like the idea.
"Yes, it would be good for the economy. I don't feel like it would be a danger to our community to have L.A.'s criminals here," said Laura Lehman.
Another resident, Bill Hamblem, said it can help keep the city clean. "The prisoners would come in, we used to get people from the prison to come in and help clean up areas and stuff like that."
The Taft City Council approved the contract unanimously 5-0 in a special meeting Monday evening.
When the state closed some facilities under prison realignment, many counties were left high and dry, looking for a place to house criminals, including Los Angeles. When the state closed the Taft Community Correctional Facility last year, the city was left with a huge unemployment bill.
City Councilman Dave Noerr says this new deal with L.A. County will bring those jobs back and give the city up to $75 million to house inmates.
The agreement still has to go back for final approval from L.A. County but, as it stands, 260 inmates should start to move in by September until the facility reaches full capacity at 512 inmates.
The deal will span five years and bring in $31,000 a day to the city, or more than $11 million per year.
"It's a contract that will save them money, open a CCF again in Taft. So it would employ people who used to be employed there or some new ones. We can house them roughly 50 percent less than what it costs L.A. County to do it, and still make a little bit of money to help fund our police department and fire department as well," said Noerr.
If L.A. County had room to house the same inmates, it would cost almost $60,000 a day.
After the state prison realignment closed the Taft facility on November 30th, 2011, the city was left covering the unemployment costs for laying off the prison guards. The city figured unemployment costs into the new agreement so they won't be left out to dry again if L.A. County ends the agreement for any reason.
Residents we talked to like the idea.
"Yes, it would be good for the economy. I don't feel like it would be a danger to our community to have L.A.'s criminals here," said Laura Lehman.
Another resident, Bill Hamblem, said it can help keep the city clean. "The prisoners would come in, we used to get people from the prison to come in and help clean up areas and stuff like that."
The Taft City Council approved the contract unanimously 5-0 in a special meeting Monday evening.