Southern prison
awaits isle decisionA Mississippi facility extends its
workers' pact until April 10
CLARKSDALE, Miss. » The contracts of 230 Mississippi prison employees were extended another two weeks while officials try to close a deal to fill the facility with inmates from Hawaii.
The extension will keep the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility employees on the job until April 10. Without it, the employees faced layoffs yesterday.
Officials with Corrections Corp. of America -- the Nashville, Tenn.-based agency that manages the prison -- said it is waiting for the Hawaii officials to decide whether to move 528 prisoners now being housed in Arizona.
"As far as Hawaii is concerned, they have not made an indication to us whether they are going to sign a contract or not," CCA spokesman Steve Owen said. "Since there has been no decision yet, we can't assume that it will be a favorable one, so we will continue to market the institution and keep all options open."
Hawaii officials said earlier this month that they toured the 1,100-bed Mississippi facility but were not negotiating to move prisoners there. The state has sent out requests for proposals to house Hawaii inmates on the mainland.
As of March 8 there were 796 male inmates from Hawaii in Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Okla., and 485 in Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Ariz. There were 51 female inmates from Hawaii in the state-run Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud, Okla.
The state is also exploring options to keep the inmates where they are, officials said.
In Hawaii there were 4,220 inmates in state facilities and 38 in the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.
Mississippi prison Warden Jim Cooke said employees were relieved to get a two-week extension but would still be on edge until their fate is clear. Many of them, he said, will transfer to the soon-to-be-reopened Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood if a contract with Hawaii does not come through.
"We're certainly glad to get the extension, and of course we hope Hawaii chooses to send inmates here," Cooke said. "We'll just have to wait and see, but everybody can breathe a little easier now."
