'Dealing with Danger'

By Jon Melegrito

High turnover, poor training and understaffing are common in privatized prisons — creating conditions for disaster. Result? For-profit jails — compared to public corrections facilities — consistently have a higher rate of assaults on staff and inmates.

In New Mexico, prisons operated by the GEO Group (formerly Wackenhut Corp.) have seen six murders, nine stabbings and several riots since 1998. This past May, four COs were beaten by an inmate. That attack occurred at the Guadalupe County Correctional Facility in Santa Rosa — the same privately run prison at which inmates rioted in August 1999, killing one CO.

"The best way to deal with this danger is to have properly trained corrections staff who are paid decent wages and benefits," says Jason Ellis, president of Local 1888 (Council 18). "But that's not going to happen in privatized jails. And that's why we've been picketing Joe Williams."

BAD RECORD

Williams, who was appointed state Secretary of Corrections two years ago, formerly worked for Wackenhut, which named him 2001 Warden of the Year.

"He may have a track record of saving money," Ellis declares, "but he's not saving lives. He's making prisons unsafe — as well as the community at large."

To get their message across, dozens of COs carried signs during Williams' July 8 speech at a graduation ceremony in Albuquerque. It was the sixth time they'd demonstrated against him this year.

Stephen Perkins, Local 3022 vice president, says the picket also sent a message to Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez. "This mayor is looking into privatizing jails," Perkins points out, "even though that leads to cutting staff and training, and ultimately unsafe work conditions for COs. We will oppose this move every step of the way."

MORE HEAT

Council 18 is currently leading a community-wide effort to block a proposal for a 600-bed prison in Clayton. The facility would be operated by the GEO Group, which prompts Council 18 Exec. Dir. Anthony Marquez to say: "This anti-worker firm has already demonstrated its inability to provide good-paying jobs and ensure public safety. Private companies simply don't serve the interests of our members."

Meanwhile, ACU is hailing a decision by Valencia County to take over management of its adult detention center from another privateer, Cornell Companies Inc. Since the county move last January, the 150-plus COs in that facility have been actively organizing to form a union with Council 18.