County Looks To Profit From ICE
Adams County PA Prison could begin accepting an additional 30 federal prisoners for an estimated potential income of about $700,000, Warden Brian Clark has told the Prison Boar.
Prison capacity, including Community Reentry inmates (formerly called Work Release) is 447. The last day of October, there were 328 inmates in the facility. The main prison has about 120 beds available, some of which could be used for the federal prisoners, Clark said. “If we could hold 30 of their inmates for a year, that would be ($678,000),” Clark told the board. He also said daily operating costs would not change. Food costs are fixed, and there is sufficient staff already on board. One cost that may increase could be health care, but that would be the responsibility of the federal service, the warden said.
Clark said the federal agency would treat Adams County as a satellite of York County Prison, where it currently keeps the prisoners. “The problem right now is York County is overcrowded,” he said, “and they’re (ICE) taking females … halfway across the state to board.” Fink noted many of the prisoners would be awaiting a flight out of the country and Adams County is close to the Harrisburg airport, where most of the flights occur.
Clark said the plan “wouldn’t take place tomorrow.” The federal agency first must inspect the prison, including review of its procedures and policies, before a contract can be signed. Adams County Prison already houses 25-30 prisoners a month from the U.S. Marshall Service. The prisoners are being held on federal charges and awaiting trial in Harrisburg federal courts. “We have had close to 40,” Clark said, adding that “every year this time of year, it kind of slows down for awhile.” The county receives $62 a day per diem for each non-Adams County inmate held in the facility.
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