The Jindal administration cleared its first hurdle toward the eventual sale of a medium-security prison in Marksville during a 4.5-hour hearing this morning. The House’s budget committee voted 13-11 to approve House Bill 850, with two Republicans voting no and two Democrats—including Chairman Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro—voting yes.
Before a room packed with employees of Avoyelles Correctional Center and central Louisiana officials and flanked by administration officials, Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton, framed his bill as a cost-savings measure in hard budget times. The bill would authorize the administration to send out requests for proposal to private companies to lease or buy the Avoyelles facility, which is appraised at $35 million. A sales agreement would go to the Joint Budget Committee for approval. An amendment to require the approval of the full Legislature failed, 11-10.
The governor’s proposed budget calls for depositing the sales proceeds into the so-called rainy day fund, and counts on $40 million in operational savings over the next five years through privatization. But Chairman Fannin successfully urged members to defeat an amendment to put the rainy day fund language in the bill, in order to maintain flexibility in handling the budget. The amendment failed, 12-12.
Last year, the same committee involuntarily deferred a bill to sell Avoyelles along with privately operated prisons in Allen and Winn parishes.
Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc said there were problems with the state’s earliest prison privatizations, but that private companies running medium-security prisoners in Allen and Winn parishes are “good partners.” He noted that the recidivism rate at Avoyelles is about the same as at Winn and Allen.
Though a company would buy the facility, the state would enter into a 20-year contract to house prisoners there at a per diem rate to start at $31 and rise to $40.
A line of legislators, local officials and citizens testified that privatization would harm the community’s economy and security, and hurt the state as well. Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Marksville, read off a list of escape incidents from private prisons.
“That’s what you get when you privatize,” he said.
Secretary LeBlanc later countered that there are escapes from publicly run prisons, too. Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, said he agreed with most privatizations but not of prisons.
“One thing the government does well is run prisons,” he said.
Sen. Rick Gallot, D-Grambling, who has a medium-security prison in his district, warned, “Don’t think this administration won’t come after your institutions.”
