By C1 Staff
DALLAS, Texas — State officials are planning to close two more privately run prison facilities in the hopes that it would save the state money and improve safety in prisons by releasing more nonviolent offenders on parole.
The two being eyed for closure are the Dawson State Jail in Dallas and the Mineral Wells Pre-Parole Transfer Facility, according to the Pegasus News.
State Sen. John Whitmire said that it made sense to close the prisons, especially since they were sitting on essentially 10,000 empty beds after the prison population dropped drastically this year. Both facilities that are under consideration for closure have faced scrutiny.
“I think it would be pretty convincing to show we’re wasting dollars” on those facilities, Whitmire said.
For the prison employee’s union, who agrees with the closures, it’s not about the amount being saved but the safety challenges that will be overcome.
Lance Lowry, president of the Texas chapter of the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees, agreed with Whitmire that pay should increase for prison staff and that the state should continue to aggressively pursue policies that allow nonviolent offenders to be paroled.