The state has a new contract with a private prison operator. The Correctional Corporation of America will provide more than 3,000 new beds for inmates who will be moved out of state. This is the second contract California has signed with the company for housing prisoners elsewhere.
Bill Sessa is a Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman. He says around 400 inmates are being moved each month-with the goal to have 5,000 re-located by next June.
Sessa : CCA is actually going to build a facility in Arizona to provide some of these beds but we now have a contract in place so when we need these beds they'll be available.
Sessa says legislation signed by the governor will allow up to 8,000 inmates to be moved, which they anticipate will happen in 2009. The department says the new contract is estimated at $48 million in this fiscal year.
