The Swift County Monitor reported on Wednesday that state senator Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City, state representative Tim Miller, Swift County District One Commissioner Gary Hendrickx, and County board chair and District 3 Commissioner Pete Peterson met privately with representatives of Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and Goff Public about reopening the private prison in Appleton.
We embed the article below. The date of the meeting is not noted by the paper.
According to the article, Swift County believes that having CCA lease the facility to the State of Minnesota is a better option for the state than building new prison space. Swift County administrator Mike Pogge-Weaver told the paper that a lease for the prison would bring jobs to the area and keep the prisoners under state control.
Board Chair Peterson was less forthcoming about the details of the private meeting, which also included county and city staffers, as well as elected officials, lobbyists and representatives of the private prison behemoth. Peterson told the local paper:
"We had a very good discussion, a very interesting discussion, a very frank discussion, and that is all I am going to say at this time," Peterson said.
Bluestem hopes that somebody took notes.
For our earlier coverage of the plan to re-open the prison, check out the links below:
Swift Co hires Goff Public to work on reopening CCA private prison to solve state's inmate binge
Union's Director of Public Affairs & Public Policy says AFSCME opposes re-opening private prison
W. Central residents speak out for broadband, while guy who's not King of MN favors CCA.
Campaigned against it in 2014: in legislative update, Miller joins choir for rural broadband
The Monitor'a coverage
Monitor article on private meeting about prison
Photo: the prison in Appleton
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