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Private Prison Facility In Eloy Expanding

eloy, arizona
(Photo by Alexandra Olgin - KJZZ)
Eloy, Arizona

Corrections Corporation of America was formally awarded a contract Wednesday that will expand private prison operations in Eloy. 

The Red Rock Correctional Center in Eloy, about 65 miles south of Phoenix, will be undergoing construction to accommodate 1,000 more medium security male prisoners.

The Arizona Department of Corrections said these new beds are necessary because this population of prisoners is growing — they already make up more than 40 percent of all prisoners. Spokesman Andrew Wilder said the department has been temporarily fitting these prisoners in, but needs more permanent accommodations.

“When you add in, say, 20 inmates in a dorm situation," Wilder said. "You’ve got certain infrastructure that is built in that you can’t add. You can add a bed here and there but you can’t necessarily add in more toilets.”

Wilder said these temporary placements also throw off the staff-to-inmate ratio. The department projects the state prison population will continue to grow by about 900 inmates per year. Lawmakers will decide this year whether to authorize more expansion plans. 

Updated 12:50 p.m.

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Alexandra Olgin was a Senior Field Correspondent at KJZZ from 2013 to 2016.