Sobel said the bureau can re-evaluate its contract annually. He said it leaves potential for a closure but doesn’t foresee one happening.
“We’ve been hearing concerns from Clearfield County residents that it might close,” said Sobel. However, prison warden Cameron Lindsay not only announced its contract renewal, but also its plans for expansion at a recent committee meeting, which Sobel attended.
Sobel said that the prison currently houses 1,495 beds with plans of adding 325 beds. In addition, he said the expansion project will create eight new jobs at the prison.
“It’s good to clear the air. We’re always hearing concerns about its status. We all knew its contract was going to be up soon,” said Commissioner Mark B. McCracken. He and Sobel agreed the contract renewal and expansion project were great news for Clearfield and Centre counties.
If it’s possible, Sobel said he would like the prison expansion project to be completed by local contractors. He believed its construction was scheduled to get under way this year.
The Moshannon Valley Correctional Institution is a low-security, privately-owned prison by the GEO Group Inc. It’s one of the world’s largest correctional and detention organizations with locations in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.
To date, its operations include the management and or ownership of 114 correctional, detention and residential treatment facilities encompassing approximately 80,000 beds and a team of more than 20,000 professionals.
In U.S. corrections and detention, the GEO Group has 65 facilities and 65,716 beds. Its international correction and detention services include seven facilities and 7, 149 beds.