News
Hundreds Pay Respects to King

Three Trails in 30 Years

Around the Area

Briefs

Range of Projects Displayed at Expo

Estancia Teen Gets Worldwide Education

CNM To Offer Courses in Edgewood

DWI Memorial Needs Help To Stay Open

Bidding Process To Start on Arts Center

Mother of 5 Arrested in Fatal Stabbing

More
News

HOME	CLASSIFIEDS	OBITUARIES	SPORTS	OPINION

Thursday, July 17, 2003

Estancia Prison May Fill Up

By Carolyn Carlson
Mountain View Telegraph
    With the state prison system facing a massive shortage of bed space, private prison facilities may have to pick up the slack.
    Lane Blair, warden at the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, said his company, Corrections Corporation of America, "always stands ready to meet the needs of their customers."
    Blair would not comment further on the potential transfer of state prisoners to Estancia, other than saying no prisoners have been transferred yet.
    New Mexico corrections chief Joe R. Williams warned members of the Legislative Finance Committee of the impending space shortage in June. He said it could mean releasing prisoners early if they have a short time left on their sentences, as well as possible changes in sentencing laws.
    Williams told the committee that his department is projecting a 465-bed shortage in the fiscal year that began July 1.
    Williams said 365 of those inmates could be housed at two privately run jails — in Torrance County and Santa Fe County — that already lease bed space to his department.
    But Williams said the state prison system's space shortfall is projected to climb to more than 800 beds in fiscal 2005.
    More than 6,000 inmates are currently in the state system, which consists of six state-run prisons and five private prisons.
    The Torrance County Detention Facility has 910 beds, with 875 of them currently filled. Some of those beds are already filled with state prisoners.
    Blair said in 2002, CCA paid more than $1 million in gross receipts taxes and $196,000 in management fees to Torrance County, along with $182,000 in property taxes. The Estancia prison, with an annual payroll of about $7 million, is almost at full staffing with 250 employees, he said.
    The prison was recently on lockdown for three days, but Blair said it was a routine lockdown to allow cell and inmate searches. He said nothing major was found during the lockdown, which was done to ensure the safety of the staff and inmates.
    Journal Staff Writer Jeff Jones contributed to this story.