Justice Department investigators on Thursday raised sharp questions about management of a major private prison contract, for a facility holding unauthorized immigrants in Texas.
The report probes issues with the Reeves County Detention Center, designed to house up to 2,407 low-security, non-U.S. citizens. It’s big: The contract has an estimated value of $493 million, and according to the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General it is “is the Department’s second largest contract in terms of total dollars obligated since fiscal year 2014.”
Part of the work is subcontracted out to the Florida-based GEO Group, Inc., and to the Tennessee-based Correct Care Solutions, LLC.
According to investigators, the Reeves County Detention Center:
“Consistently struggled to meet or exceed baseline contractual standards; received an unacceptable number of deficiencies and notices of concern; was unresponsive to (Bureau of Prison) inquiries; struggled with staffing issues in health services and correctional services; and frequently submitted inaccurate routine paperwork, including erroneous disciplinary hearing records and monthly invoices.”
The Bureau of Prisons and the GEO Group agreed with most, though not all, of the OIG’s recommendations, with the GEO Group’s formal response calling the report “both fair and comprehensive.” The Bureau of Prisons further reported that performance improved in 2014.
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