Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The largest private corrections facility in the United States is on the verge of buying land and constructing a juvenile facility near Pierceton.
Corrections Corporation of America is seeking a 90-day option to purchase a 20-acre tract in an industrial park northeast of the U.S. 30 and Ind. 13.
Kosciusko Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer, who announced the tentative plans Tuesday to the county commissioners, said privatization is a "much more economical" solution than the county constructing its own facility.
The facility, tentatively named the Northeast Indiana Youth Village, would have 128 beds, employ more than 100 people and serve upward of 10 counties.
But CCA spokesman Susan Hart cautions it is not a "done deal," and that a minor zoning hurdle is still required.
Corrections facilities require a special exception within an industrial district. A hearing on the matter could be set within a month or two, Hart said.
Regional support for the facility is already lining up, according to Huffer.
"Marshall County, Fulton County, Whitley County are all gung-ho and all in favor of it" while Huntington and Wabash counties are willing to entertain the idea, Huffer said.
The proposed facility will also be an attractive option for other nearby counties such as Noble, La Grange, Steuben and DeKalb, he said.
The Pierceton location is centrally located to serve all of those communities.
The proposed site is in Matchett Industrial Park and south of Paragon Medical Inc.
If zoning is approved, construction could begin soon and the facility could be ready in 12 to 14 months, Hart said.
Commissioner Eddie Creighton said he is hopeful the plan will come together.
The county has considered its options for a juvenile facility for at least seven years but "could not justify the expense" of building its own facility, he said.
"It's going to solve a lot of problems without us going to a large expenditure," said Ron Robinson, the county's personnel director who was one of several people to tour a CCA facility in Vincennes.
Creighton said a private agreement removes any of the "political ramifications," which could evolve over locating, financing and constructing a facility.
Privatization is a trend in corrections and is advantageous to state and local taxing units, which in turn avoid huge capital outlays, personnel expenses and long-term maintenance of the facility.
The county currently pays $141 a day to house juveniles in facilities in Fort Wayne and South Bend.
Officials are hoping the daily fee with CCA would be around $100, but that fee won't be known until after the construction costs are assessed, Huffer said.
CCA has the reputation of being the biggest and oldest private corrections company in the United States, and offers a variety of services within its facility.
CCA operates about 65 facilities that include nearly 50,000 beds in various parts of the nation.
In 1997, the company opened facilities to accommodate 15,000 beds, which is more than some entire states have, Hart said.
In addition to Vincennes and Indianapolis, other CCA facilities are in Tennessee, Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Huffer said county officials were highly impressed after taking a tour of the Vincennes facility.
While the Vincennes facility is designed like a campus with multiple buildings, the proposed Pierceton site would be contained under one roof, officials said.
Huffer asked the commissioners to work with him in talking with other counties about working with CCA, but he downplayed the idea of taking a lead role in recruiting support.
The company would want to sign a 20-year agreement that has options every four years, Robinson said.
Counties supporting the facility would also participate in an advisory board that would assist in setting policies and fees, Robinson said.
Huffer and Creighton both said they want to limit the facility to rural counties. Part of that reason is to keep local youth from inner city gang influences, Huffer said.
