Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 10, 1992 TAG: 9202100156
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BONNIE V. WINSTON and
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
HOUSE BILLS APPROVE PRIVATE OPERATION OF PRISONS
Despite claims that it would make Virginia the repository of other states' troubles, the House of Delegates on Sunday gave preliminary approval to bills that would permit private firms to run prisons for both state offenders and criminals from out of state.The bills, sponsored by Del. Franklin Hall, D-Richmond, are scheduled for a final House vote today. They advanced despite concerns by at least one skeptic that they might allow companies interested in building and running private prisons to bypass competitive bidding procedures.
House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, who opposed all three of Hall's bills, argued that other states could send their worst criminals to Virginia for keeping.
"Here, you'd be creating a bunch of ticking time bombs and putting them where the local governments would have no control over them," Cranwell said.
But Hall said that at least six Virginia localities have asked for authority to have private companies build prisons to house out-of-state convicts.
"It creates jobs, jobs, jobs," Hall said.
He estimated that 300 jobs, at an average annual salary of $20,000, would be generated with each prison opening, while another 200 jobs would be created by the services needed to support it.
Two political operatives with connections to Gov. Douglas Wilder have been lobbying lawmakers for private prisons.
The two, state Democratic Party Chairman and Wilder confidant Paul Goldman and Joseph Johnson, who managed Wilder's short-lived presidential campaign, are registered lobbyists for Corrections Corp. of America.
Hall, who also initiated legislation for private prisons during the 1991 General Assembly, received a $1,000 campaign contribution last year from Doctor R. Crants, a principal in the Nashville, Tenn.-based firm.
"It's ridiculous, it's absurd, drawing that connection there . . ." Hall told a reporter who asked about the bill and his support from Crants. "I'm doing it because I believe it's good for this commonwealth."
Two of the bills would allow the state to contract for private juvenile jails and adult facilities for Virginia inmates. The third would allow local governments to contract for private prisons for other states' prisoners.
Hall argued that local governments could simply add to a contract with the private companies that no "high-risk inmates" could be housed in the private facilities. He also said that the local governing board, as well as the state Board of Corrections and the state secretary of public safety, would have to review and approve the contracts before construction could begin.
In other action Sunday:
The House defeated, 56-29, a measure that would require hunters, fishermen and boaters to purchase a $5.50 annual conservation permit.
The Senate courts committee voted 11-4 to endorse a bill to require that people arrested for drunken driving forfeit their driver's licenses pending trial.