Las Vegas Sun

November 15, 2009

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Editorial: Prison company needs closer look

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002 | 9:07 a.m.

It is alarming that the director of the state Department of Human Resources was unaware that Securicor, a Georgia company tentatively selected by the state Purchasing Division to run the Summit View youth prison in Clark County, has had problems operating similar youth programs in Florida. Securicor acknowledged that there have been two instances of improper sexual relationships between staff and an inmate within the past three years in Florida. It was the same kind of problem that led, in part, to Correctional Services Corp. ending its contract with Nevada to run the Summit View facility.

Gov. Kenny Guinn wanted the state to run Summit View after its bad experience with privatization there, but state legislators rebuffed this sensible request. Now that the Department of Human Resources has been saddled with selecting a private company to run what really is a government obligation, it must make sure that the company ultimately selected is fit for the job. In light of privatization's failures in other state prisons across the nation, that certainly will be a tall order.

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