US prison bureau’s silence is insulting to Mahoning Valley

First a word about the inappropri- ate reaction of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio to the announcement that the private prison in Youngstown stands to lose hundreds of jobs when 1,400 federal prisoners are transferred out by May: The employees who are furloughed should not hesitate to visit the ACLU offices in Cleveland and ask executives to help them find work that’s good for them.

Here’s what the nonprofit national organization committed to preserving individual rights had to say about the U.S. Bureau of Prisons not renewing a contract with Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America to house prisoners at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown:

“The for-profit prison business is bad for prisoners, prison employees, communities and taxpayers,” the ACLU said in its news release. It added that it hopes the U.S. Marshal’s Service will cancel its contract to house about 580 detainees at NOCC.

And while ACLU executives provide the former employees with all the assistance they need to make up for their loss in income, we would urge Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally and members of city council to find out from the organization how the city can make up the $500,000 a year in income tax if the 418 employees at the prison lose their jobs.

The bottom line is that the loss of the federal contract is about the livelihood of Mahoning Valley residents — many of the individuals had difficulty finding work before CCA built its facility — and about the financial stability of Youngstown city government.

Mayor McNally and other government officials, including U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, say that the private prison has been a good neighbor, a good employer and a welcomed addition to the community. As for CCA, it has made major investments in its 2,016-bed facility, has an annual payroll of $21.7 million and pays about $4.3 million a year in property taxes and for utilities and local goods and services.

Valley’s misfortune

That’s why we take exception to the ACLU’s hailing the misfortune that has befallen the private prison owner and, by extension, the Mahoning Valley, which unlike other parts of the state, cannot afford to lose a major employer.

It is also why we demand a full explanation from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. We are well aware that federal bureaucrats ensconced in their offices in Washington, D.C., are under no obligation to explain to CCA or to Youngstown officials why the contract to house federal prisoners was not renewed.

But we also know that federal departments and agencies are loathe to anger members of Congress, especially one who serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Thus, we fully support Congressman Ryan, who was re-elected to a seventh, two-year term in the Nov. 4 general election, in his effort to understand the thinking behind the decision.

Is the decision etched in stone, or is there something CCA can do to amend its proposal to make it more acceptable to the government?

If not, are there other bureau of prison contracts the private-prison operator can secure?

The loss of the NOCC would be economically devastating to the city of Youngstown and the region, hence we urge the Obama administration to conduct a review.

Indeed, given that this is economic development at its core, the U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for economic development would be the appropriate administration official to get involved.

Of course, considering that the assistant secretary is none other than Jay Williams, the former mayor of Youngstown who had extensive dealings with CCA and the private prison during his tenure, we would be surprised if he didn’t jump at the chance to investigate.

After all, Williams still has family in Youngstown and certainly would not want to see the community take another financial hit because of a decision made by some faceless bureaucrats in Washington.

Answers demanded

The Valley not only has a right to demand answers, but also needs to know what it can do to secure other bureau of prisons contracts.

Lest anyone think that CCA is exaggerating when it says that closing the Youngstown prison “will move jobs away from an area in desperate need of stability,” consider this statistic:

During the nine months ending Sept. 30, 2014, the Hubbard Road prison generated about $30 million in revenue from the bureau of prisons contract.

We applaud local government officials for not accepting the decision as being etched in stone, and we join Rep. Ryan in his battle on behalf of the employees at the prison.

“NEOCC’s role in the federal prison system deserves to be extended,” the influential congressman said. “CCA, NEOCC and the Valley as a whole have earned it. I will do everything in my power to ensure that these employees have the opportunity to do what they do best and continue their jobs in the federal prison system.”

Ryan is absolutely right. The employees did everything the federal government asked of them: They cared for the prisoners according to the standards set by Washington.