ELOY, AZ (CBS5) -
The Arizona Department of Corrections has awarded a contract to Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) for them to house 1,000 inmates for the state.
Four companies were vying for the contract.
CCA has proposed 4,500 beds in existing prison facilities in Eloy. Right now, those facilities primarily house inmates from California. According to CCA, those inmates would be moved to other facilities.
"CCA has a strong track record of operating safe and secure facilities, and offering inmates opportunities for rehabilitation efforts," said Steve Owen, spokesperson for CCA.
Owen said CCA currently employs approximately 2,700 corrections professionals in Pinal County.
JoAnne Galindo was one of the few residents not employed in the corrections field who spoke during the meeting.
"Eloy's residents have benefited from the fact that CCA has been in our community. We have thrived because CCA has been in our community," Galindo said.
Critics, including the ACLU of Arizona and the American Friends Service Committee, said they are against building more private prisons.
"Don't need them. Can't afford them. Can't trust them," said Caroline Isaacs, of AFSC. "When you take a governmental function that has life and death power over human beings and reduce it to a profit margin, bad things happen."
Isaacs also said private prisons have a history of security problems and don't necessarily save money.
"I'm afraid if you have a cooperation and all they care about is the bottom line, they will start cutting corners and that may mean safety and the safety of citizens and that's just not acceptable," said Rep. Ruben Gallego.
Minority Speaker Chad Campbell also called for Attorney General Tom Horne to investigate any legal or contract violations, saying the ADC isn't holding them accountable.
ADC was required to award the contract by Sept. 1. The first 500 beds should be available by January of 2014, with the remainder of the beds opening up in January of the following year.
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