Management & Training Corporation announced Wednesday its intention to more than double the inmate capacity at the Kingman prison.
The Utah-based company responded to a request for proposal from the Arizona Department of Corrections by submitting a bid to expand the Arizona State Prison capacity from 1,400 inmates to 3,400.
"MTC is very pleased with the opportunity the Arizona Department of Corrections has given us to manage the Kingman facility at its current inmate capacity," said Odie Washington, MTC senior corrections vice president, in a news release.
MTC built an effective workforce by mainly hiring from the local community, Washington said.
"They are successfully rehabilitating inmates and turning lives around," he said. "We would welcome the opportunity to serve an even larger offender population at the current site."
"It's a shame there is a need for any additional prison space in Arizona." County Supervisor Buster Johnson said.
"But the sad reality is our state does have a need."
The site of the current facility provides the Arizona Department of Corrections with room to expand, because the Industrial Park is already zoned to allow correctional facilities.
The current location also has the critical water supply necessary to accommodate such an expansion. According to Golden Valley Improvement District Supervisor Zelda Wright, the GVID signed an extension with MTC in 2006 that will provide sufficient water for the expansion.
A sign of growth
Increasing the capacity of the facility located on the industrial corridor off of Interstate 40 would require $130 million to $150 million in new construction, according to MTC communication director Carl Stuart.
Also, last year MTC provided $9.3 million in salaries and benefits to employees at the Kingman prison. It also paid $295,289 in property taxes. The expansion would also bring the prison's annual payroll to more than $15 million.
"These salaries, benefits and tax payments will undoubtedly grow substantially if the expansion bid is accepted," Stuart said.
The facility also makes annual restorative justice payments to the community in excess of $300,000 through inmate community service projects and corporate charitable donations.
"MTC is confident it has proven itself to the community," Stuart said. "The company's operational track record clearly shows inmates can be successfully rehabilitated at the Industrial Park, with no negative impact to Mohave County."
Johnson also has a positive view on the past of MTC.
"The company has proven to be a quality corporate neighbor," he said. "The prison operators do what they say they're going to do, support community projects and charities, and manage the facility in a very professional manner."
Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, February 08, 2008
Article comment by:
Debbie Williams
With the high Meth use in Kingman, why is there no rehab centers in Kingman,until there is a prison sentence? Everyone knows whom have lived in or visit Kingman the high ammount of Meth users in your city. Use some of the money to help before a prison sentence happens. I have lived in several citys. I have never seen so much Meth use with no available rehab, as I have the city of Kingman,Arizona.
Use some of the money to help break up the Meth Labs and for drug rehab centers to stop your citizens from dying, or going to prison.
