State sends out inquiries about the privatizing of prisons

The Arizona Department of Administration released a Request for Information Monday, seeking to determine if there is interest from private prison companies to operate Arizona prison complexes in Douglas and Safford.

The RFI is in response to HB2010, approved last year as part of the FY2010 budget.

“We will know before the end of February whether there is any interest by private companies in operating these two prisons,” ADC Director Charles L. Ryan said. “We will await the responses and conduct an evaluation before proceeding.”

The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Capital Review narrowed the scope of the RFI to exclude prison complexes with maximum and close custody beds. ASPC-Safford/Ft. Grant and ASPC-Douglas are the only two complexes that fall into that scope, Ryan said. The Safford and Douglas prisons house only minimum and medium custody inmates, the criteria approved by JCCR.

 Responses to the RFI are due Feb 23.