Somerton considers prison site

SOMERTON — Somerton officials are looking into the possibility of trying to attract a privately run prison they say would give a shot in the arm to the economy.

The state Department of Corrections needs an additional 5,000 beds for minimum- and medium-security inmates, and Somerton officials say that, depending on the details, they may want their city to be considered as a site by the company that will operate it.

According to preliminary estimates, a prison could create to 800 jobs and generate $2 million in revenue annually for the community that hosted it, he said.

"The proposal is being explored," Mayor Martin Porchas said a recent council work session. "We still don't have many details, but it would be an option for bring revenue into the city."

Porchas said the state is in the process of selecting the company that will build and then operate the prison under contract with the state.

One of the conditions under which the city would host a prison is that it would located away from the downtown and from residential areas, Porchas said.

A prison would require 200 acres, and the city would have to annex land for the site, Porchas said, since there is no existing property in the city large enough accommodate it.

He added that the advantages and disadvantages of the project will become clearer once the company is chosen.

"We are a long way from discussing it or voting on it," Porchas said. "It's nothing more than a proposal we are analyzing.

"At some point we will call the community together for a public meeting to find out its opinion."

DOC officials referred questions about the project to state Department of Administration spokesman, who was not immediately available for comment.

If Somerton were to attract a prison, it would be the third prison site in the county. DOC operates at prison complex south of Yuma and next to the Mexican border, while San Luis, Ariz., hosts a private prison for federal prisoners.