The community of Coalinga is hopeful it will get a state contract that could reopen the shuttered Claremont Custody Facility as soon as February.The 570 bed jail could house perhaps that many medium security prisoners – current state inmates – if a new contract can be hammered out in coming weeks says city manager Rene Ramirez.
“They came down to tour the facility” says Ramirez and” we are talking about increasing some security items like an extra fence since they would be higher level prisoners than what we had before.”
Ramirez says even though the city does not yet have contract they are optimistic enough to hold a job fair November 13 and 14 to attract qualified employees to work as correctional officers.
The State of California is under court order to reduce its prison population by 137% of capacity by February says Ramirez .That would mean the state would need to find new secure housing for about 8000 prisoners statewide quickly. Four south Valley Community Correctional Facilities(CCF) are obvious candidates.
“It makes more sense to house those inmates in the state of California, instead of out of state, especially if we have empty facilities.”
Ramirez says there is also talks with local officials in Taft, Delano and Shafter to fill shuttered dorm-style facilities in those towns – each about 500 beds. “They are further on in discussions with Delano and Shafter.”
Ramirez says the Claremont facility closed in 2011 after the city lost a state contract. It used to house low level prisoners and employed 90.
One estimate is that filling just one empty CCF would bring in over 70 jobs and $70 million in state funds into a local community.