Winslow Awaits Word On Private Prison Bid

La Salle submitted a proposal to build a private prison facility on Highway 87 in Winslow, just north of the existing state-run prison.

La Salle is a developer and operator of correctional centers in Louisiana and Texas. The company collaborated with Correctional Facility Consultants LLC to respond to the state’s request for proposals for potential prison sites across Arizona.

Patton expressed optimism that the Winslow site and La Salle’s proposal will be favorably reviewed by the state, because they are in compliance with, and in some cases exceed, the specifications published in the state’s request for proposals.

He’s also optimistic that the proposed prison would be a boon for the city.

“In addition to the more than 200 permanent jobs this would bring, the spinoff economy from this prison would be in the millions,” said Patton.

That spinoff economy would include everything that is needed to support a substantial, long-term population.

The 1,000 inmates would add 10.4 percent to Winslow’s current population of 9,655.

“A prison would buy vehicle fuel, food; use local contractors for plumbing and electrical repairs; buy needed materials, take vehicles to local mechanics…for as long as the prison is operating,” he said.

According to Patton, shorter-term revenue increases include the estimated $350,000 to $500,000 sales tax expected to be generated during construction.

There is also the potential for improvements and expansion of the city’s airport, water and wastewater facilities.

Patton explained that federal contracts will likely be awarded if the prison is set up to accept federal prisoners, including illegal immigrants. Those federal dollars would go toward improving the Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport to develop security measures commensurate with securely transporting federal prisoners, and would likely result in other airport-wide improvements, as well.

If the city determines additional water and wastewater treatment capacity is needed, the prison contractor would be directed to develop a wastewater modular plant on the proposed site. Patton said the additional wastewater infrastructure would benefit not only the prison, but existing and future south Winslow developments.

While the proposal La Salle and Correctional Facility Consultants LLC submitted to the state was for a 1,000-bed prison on a 68-acre site, Correctional Facility Consultants owner Keith Holbrook has said that he and his investors hope to eventually develop the entire 900-acre site they own south of Winslow, for which they have already secured a conditional use permit that allows for up to 11,500 beds.

That kind of expansion would take many years, and would not be pursued as part of the currently proposed project, as the guidelines outlined in the state’s request for proposal calls for no more than 1,000 beds in a single facility.

Patton addressed concerns about perceived issues that come along with a prison in the area. Do families that relocate to be near their incarcerated loved ones cause trouble in communities? Is there truth to the assertion that corrections employees have higher rates of domestic violence, or participation in other crimes?

“I have spoken directly with (Winslow police) Chief Garnett about those very concerns and he said we haven’t had problems with the families who have moved to the area because they have someone in prison, and there haven’t been issues with Department of Corrections employees.

“The experience we’ve had with the state prison we already have here in Winslow helps allay those fears,” said Patton. “There hasn’t been an increase in crime or drug problems as a result of the prison. Chief Garnett is adamant about that.”

If the construction bid is awarded for the Winslow site, next steps would include the city’s development review board meeting to review the plans, followed by the initiation of construction.