Arizona to save millions by ending private contract, closing Marana prison facility
Nov 28, 2023, 12:00 PM
ADCRR is ending its agreement with a private contractor at the end of the year, closing the Marana prison. (Google Maps Screenshot)
(Google Maps Screenshot)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry is ending its agreement with a private contractor at its Marana facility, a move the state says will save $15 million over the next two years.
The contract with Management & Training Corporation will end Dec. 31, closing the prison north of Tucson.
ADCRR will save $5 million in 2024 and $10 million in 2025, according to a press release.
“This is more than just good fiscal sense,” ADCRR Director Ryan Thornell said in the release. “It’s about using the totality of ADCRR’s state resources more effectively.”
Why is ADCRR ending its contract in Marana?
The minimum security prison has a capacity for 500 male inmates but hasn’t come close to that number in recent years.
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The average inmate population over the past few years has been about 225. ADCRR has to pay for nearly 475 beds regardless of inmate total as part of the contract with MTC.
“I applaud Director Thornell for his good stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said in the release.
“Because of the director’s leadership, we are cutting down on government waste and saving Arizona taxpayers $15 million over two years while improving public safety.”
What will happen to inmates at the Marana prison?
The ADCRR system, which operates a total of 15 prisons, six of which are private, will absorb the Marana inmates.
The other prisons’ budgets, programs, operations and staffing won’t be affected, according to ADCRR.
The nearly 50 MTC employees who worked at the Marana facility will have employment opportunities at other prisons, including the Arizona State Prison Complex in nearby Tucson.
