The Big Spring Correctional Center (BSCC) is a privately operated prison located in Big Spring, Howard County, Texas, operated by the GEO Group under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.[1] It houses federal "deportable alien" detainees.
 | |
| Location | 1701 Apron Drive Big Spring, Texas |
|---|---|
| Status | open |
| Security class | minimum |
| Capacity | 3509 |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Managed by | GEO Group |
BSCC should not be confused with the federally owned and operated Federal Correctional Institution, Big Spring in the same town, or its satellite camp. BSCC consists of four separate physical locations: [2] [3]
- "Airpark", at 1701 Apron Drive, opened 1991, capacity 564, housed in 13 buildings formerly part of the decommissioned Webb Air Force Base
- "Cedar Hill", at 3711 Wright Avenue, opened June 1998, capacity 520
- "Flightline", at 2001 Rickabaugh Drive, opened Feb 1995, capacity 520
- "Interstate", at 1801 W Interstate 20, opened 1989, capacity 417, in a converted 72-room former Ramada Inn
Closure
editIn August 2016, Justice Department officials announced that the FBOP would be phasing out its use of contracted facilities, because private prisons provided less safe and less effective services with no substantial cost savings. The agency had expected to allow current contracts on its thirteen remaining private facilities to expire. [4] However, Attorney General Jeff Sessions criticized the August 2016 decision and reversed it on February 22, 2017. The prison's contract is expected to be renewed as it approaches expiration. [5]
References
edit- ^ "Big Spring Correctional Institution". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ "Big Spring Correctional Center". GEO Group. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ "Big_Spring_Correctional_Center_PREA_Report August 2014" (PDF). GEO Group. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ Zapotosky, Matt (18 Aug 2016). "Justice Department says it will end use of private prisons". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- ^ "Jeff Sessions Reverses Obama-Era Policy That Curtailed DOJ's Private Prison Use". HuffPost. 23 February 2017.