MARANA, Ariz — The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry announced Monday it will be ending its contract with a private prison contractor to run a facility in Marana.
State officials said it will stop contracting with Management & Training Corporation to operate a minimum security prison where the average inmate population is now less than half the facility's capacity.
Though the Marana facility's population is less than the 500-inmate limit, state officials said they're still obligated to pay MTC for nearly 475 beds.
State officials said Arizona could save up to $15 million by choosing to end the MTC contact after it expires on Dec. 31, 2023.
"The ADCRR is able to absorb the inmates from ASP-Marana, into other prisons here in Arizona," ADCRR Director Ryan Thornell said in a statement. "So not only are we demonstrating significant savings, we’re demonstrating, with actions, our ability to be more efficient with the resources already provided to us."
ADCRR said it will prioritize giving employment opportunities at other state prisons to staff at the Marana facility.
No other contracts will be ending between Arizona and private prison operators.
This is not the first contract Arizona has chosen to terminate with a private prison contractor.
In 2015, then-Gov. Doug Ducey ended a contract with MTC to operate a prison near Kingman following an inmate riot.
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