New Globe prison will require state hearing
Posted: Wednesday, Jul 7th, 2010
BY: Ted Lake/Staff Writer
Arizona Silver Belt (GLOBE)
GLOBE — Last Thursday, the Arizona Silver Belt was told, in the event that the Emerald Company was determined to be the successful bidder for the proposed private prison project in Globe, the Arizona Department of Corrections still could not immediately award a 20-year contract to the company to build the medium security complex here. That is because the statutes require as a next step for DOC to come to the city of Globe and conduct its own public hearing to allow any citizen or group to express their views for and against the proposed 1,000-bed prison and its site.
In short, Arizona Revised Statute 41-1609:02 says the Arizona Department of Corrections shall hold its own public hearing in the city or town the new prison is to be located.
The Department shall also publish a notice of the public hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the area at least 10 days before the state’s hearing here.
Then, after listening to all public comments about the proposed new private prison from local citizens, the Department of Corrections can move forward in determining whether or not it will award a contract to that bidder.
Previously, the Globe city council held two long sessions over the private prison project which resulted in approving a resolution supporting it by a vote of 4 to 2.
Emerald Correctional Management Company is one of four companies who submitted bids May 28 to built up to 5,000-bed private prison complexes in Arizona, including a site near the Gila County fairgrounds in Globe.
Staff members of the Arizona Department of Corrections are continuing to do their due diligence in reviewing the lengthy bid packages, and could not give a completion date as of last week, only saying the process was taking longer than anticipated. They had originally hoped for the awarding of bids by June 30.
Ted Lake can be reached at teddlake@yahoo.com.