Posted on 07/11/2006 11:43:43 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
2-year contract OK'd to operate $50 million detention facility
RAYMONDVILLE - Willacy County commissioners entered into a contract with a company through which the federal government could pay the county as much as $13 million a year to house 2,300 illegal immigrants, records show.
Late Thursday, commissioners entered into the contract with Management Training Corp. to operate a new $50 million detention center that's part of a national crackdown on illegal immigration.
"It will bring economic development to the Willacy County," Commissioner Emilio Vera said Monday.
As part of a two-year contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the county will sell about $50 million in bonds to fund construction of the detention center that will be run by MTC, which also operates a 525-bed county-owned prison here.
The county rejected a plan from Corrections Corporation of America, a company that proposed to work with private investors to fund project costs, County Attorney Juan Angel Guerra said.
"There would be no bonds, no liability - zero," said Guerra, who recommended commissioners hire CCA, the company that operates the 1,000-bed Willacy Unit, a state prison here.
Guerra said that the county would fall short on money if the federal government fails to fill the detention center with as many as 2,300 illegal immigrants.
In the project's first year, the federal government will pay the county $79 a day for each prisoner it houses.
The government will pay the county $78 a day per prisoner in the project's second year.
Most of that money will pay the detention center's operating costs.
As part of the agreement, the county will keep $2.25 a day for each of the first 1,800 prisoners, Guerra said. The 1,800-inmate count would generate $1.4 million, records show.
Once the inmate population exceeds 1,800, the company will pay the county $50.25 a day for each prisoner over the 1,800 mark, Guerra said. A 2,300-inmate count would generate $10.6 million a year, records show.
If the federal government extends its contract into a third year, it will pay the county $45 a day for each prisoner, Guerra said. Of that amount, the county would keep $16.25 a day per prisoner, Guerra said. By then, the county would have repaid its $50 million debt, so a 2,300-inmate count could pay the county as much as $13.6 million a year, Guerra said.
"But what if it doesn't work?" Guerra asked. "It is not guaranteed that they send the inmates."
Guerra called CCA's proposal risk-free.
As part of its proposal, CCA would have helped put federal prisoners into the county's new $7.5 million jail, which could be turned over to investors if the U.S. Marshals Service fails to transfer federal inmates for which it pays $30 per head, Guerra said.
fernandodv@valleystar.com 956-430-6278
ping
Ping!
The BP catches more than 525 a week on US69 passing through Ray'ville. It's funny to see all the cars/trucks the BP takes apart parked in the lot at the BP check-point.
Just take them back to the border at gun-point and say 'march'.
Well, Dang! 12 millions illegals would generate $9,855,000,000.00 per year! I think we finally got that lack of jobs in rural communities thing licked!
Deport Congress and jail every open borders supporter in America. Then kick out every illegal - all 20 million of them. Money well spent, for then America would be saved from Bush's madness.
You cannot take a Chinese immigrant to the Mexican border, point a gun at him and say March. Nor can you do this to an illegal from Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil, Columbia, Dominican Repulic, Africa, etc etc etc etc. I realize that many of our illegal immigrants are from Mexico, but not ALL OF THEM.
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