Arizona Gov. Ducey Announces Closing Of State Prison In Florence
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced the closure of a state prison in his State of the State address on Monday.
The Governor’s Office says the state prison in Florence will shut down by the end of the year.
Ducey said closing the facility would "remove the need for maintenance and repairs at the prison, saving taxpayers $247 million over three years."
Employees at the Florence prison will be moved to the Eyman prison to address shortages there.
As for the nearly 4,000 inmates at Florence, the Governor’s Office says they will be relocated to private prisons and county jails.
There are currently 97 death-row inmates at the prison. The Governor’s Office says the execution chamber will remain at Florence.
Ducey also announced his budget would allow for increased funding for correctional officers.
The governor said the Department of Corrections would now be known as the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
