|
New prison to open Sept. 25 GEO to
host local leaders the week prior
August 17, 2007
By Anne Spencer
GRACEVILLE – If you want to go
inside Jackson County’s newest prison, but leave of your own accord,
try it on Sept. 17.
The private management firm that
will operate the Graceville Correctional Institution, GEO Group, is
hosting a grand opening on that day.
State, county and city leaders are
among those invited.
The event will begin at 10 a.m. at
the Graceville Civic Center and end at the prison with a tour and a
meal.
In the Graceville City Commission’s
monthly meeting this week, City Manager Eugene Adams advised the
board of the grand opening and on behalf of the warden, Bill
Willingham, issued the invitation.
The prison will begin accepting
inmates on Sept. 25, Adams said. It has a capacity for 1,500.
"The projection is it will fill up
much faster than anticipated," Adams said.
This will be the third state prison
in Jackson County. The other two are operated by the state, Jackson
Correctional Institution in Malone and Apalachee Correctional
Institution in Sneads.
The county also has other
Department of Corrections facilities, as well as Department of
Juvenile Justice facilities.
Adams said GEO has especially been
pleased with the labor pool it has drawn from. Some employees are
undergoing training this week.
According to Kenny Griffin,
business services coordinator for the Chipola Regional Workforce
Board, some 700 people applied for the jobs at GCI and most lived in
commuting distance.
Approximately 312 positions have
been filled, including correctional officers and jobs in
administration, clerical, food service, maintenance and nursing.
Construction started and is ending
on schedule. Hensel Phelps had the contract.
The cost of the prison was $69.3
million.
It is located in the Graceville
Industrial Park at Cloverdale and Ezell roads.
|
