Louisiana to Take Over Operations of Allen Correctional Center as State Prison

Prison to offer more programming to prepare offenders for release
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections will take over operations of Allen Correctional Center in Kinder, Louisiana, September 1, 2017. In June, The GEO Group notified the Department it would cease operations as the state's contractor to manage the prison at the end of August. Due to budget constraints, last summer, the State changed Allen to a jail and reduced the inmate per diem to $24.39, making it economically unfeasible for GEO to continue operating the facility. Over the past several weeks, Department administrators and state and local leaders have worked on a plan to keep Allen Correctional Center open and transition to a state run prison.

"I want to thank the Governor for his commitment and unwavering support of criminal justice reforms and corrections,” said James M. Le Blanc, secretary, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. “We are excited about the opportunity to integrate our criminal justice reforms into Allen Correctional Center to better prepare our offenders for release, which in turn will help reduce recidivism, reduce prison population, improve public safety, and ultimately save taxpayers money. Opening a local level reception center at Allen will double our capacity to evaluate inmates during intake. This will ensure offenders with medical and mental health needs receive the services and programs they need while in custody."

"I was very fortunate to have been involved early on in the process to keep Allen Correctional Center open after GEO Group announced it was terminating its contract with the state," said Sheriff Doug Hebert, Allen Parish. "As Sheriff of Allen Parish, it is comforting to know that we have such a tremendous partner with Secretary Leblanc and D.O.C., and that so many Allen Parish citizens will continue to have jobs and be able to provide for their families."

“I credit Secretary Le Blanc for recognizing the value of Allen Correctional Center, and working to keep this facility open.” said Senator Eric LaFleur, (d) Ville Platte, Louisiana. “Allen is one of the state’s newer facilities, has a qualified workforce living in the surrounding communities, and will play a role in putting into action the recently passed criminal justice reforms.”

“Thanks to Governor John Bel Edwards and Secretary Jimmy Le Blanc for working with me and other elected officials to keep Allen Correctional Center open,” said Representative Dorothy Sue Hill, (d) Dry Creek, Louisiana. “Jobs for my constituents are, and they’ve always been, a priority for me. I’m asking that our employees receive benefits commensurate with their experience as corrections professionals. One of the main reasons I supported taxes last year was to keep this facility open, and protect these jobs in Allen Parish.”

Under the State's management, Allen Correctional Center is expected to be a 920 bed facility. The prison will include a reception center, to help assign incoming offenders to prisons and jails across the state most appropriate to meet their needs. The reception center will serve inmates coming from the five parishes that account for 40 percent of our intake, including Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Tammany parishes. It will also house the Southwest Regional Reentry Center, offering pre-release programs to help better prepare offenders for reintegration into society. This program will serve offenders returning to live in the southwestern parishes of the state.

Allen is expected to employ approximately 160 people. The Department is in the process of reviewing applications and interviewing applicants. Allen Correctional Center has a qualified workforce already in place. Many of the prison’s current employees are expected to apply for these jobs.

Allen Correctional Center opened in late 1990 as a privately-run state prison, managed by Wackenhut Corrections Corporation. In 2003, Wackenhut changed its name to The GEO Group.

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