From Deseret News archives:
Lawmakers hear woes of using private prison
Failed attempts raise issues about security, corrections chief says
Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, told members of the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee on Wednesday he's planning to propose a bill that will bring private prisons back to Utah. Scott Carver, executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections, responded that jailing someone is a serious step that is best left alone.
He cited failed attempts to house prison inmates privately, including 1995, when 100 Utah inmates were sent to a private Texas jail run by Dove Development to await the construction of new facilities in Utah.
During one year, there were eight escapes; six were captured, he said. In February 1996, Missouri inmates being held at the same jail set part of their housing unit on fire during a riot, which raised Utah officials' concerns about the security there.
Despite his concerns, Carver pointed out that he isn't opposed to private prisons per se but is concerned that be used to house inmates posing the least threat to public safety.
State law dictates that in cases of crowding at the state's two prison sites, inmates are sent to 20 of the state's county jails. Any further growth in inmate population, which the department clearly expects, could utilize a private facility.
"We will do what you direct us to do," Carver said. But he cautioned lawmakers to keep in mind that if they allow a private company to manage, the state is still ultimately responsible for what happens there.
E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com
