The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice notified staff at Brown Creek Correctional Institution about plans to convert the facility to house a minimum of 350 inmates. The decision is all part of a plan to move all the prison facilities in Anson County under the wing of Lanesboro Correctional Institutions. The company’s ideal plan is to house approximately 1,000 inmates in their close custody facilities while those that are medium custody will house 500 and those that are minimum will house only 350.
Both the number of inmates and the number of employees at the prisons in Anson County are expected to drop with the new decision. Currently, there are about 2,300 inmates in the County’s prison system; that number expected to drop to around 1,850. As for employees, the current number of 880 is expected to drop to only 630. Yet, reports claim that none of the employees at Brown Creek will be laid off. Instead, those not staying will ether be transferred or be promoted to a position at one of the higher volume facilities. Those who are currently employed at Brown Creek will be allowed to express their preferences as to where they will go next.
So what’s the reason for these changes? The state prison system claims the changes will allow for them to provide better treatment and rehabilitative needs for the inmate population. Some staff positions will no longer be required in Anson County and will instead be shifted to other prisons. The minimum-custody facilities, such as Brown Creek, are to be housed by more long-term inmates. However, Correction Enterprises will continue to operate its Metal Products plant onsite, which provides jobs for roughly 40-60 inmates and provide goods such as steel kitchen equipment, park benches, and custom metal projects. The minimum-security unit will also continue to operate their program for helping inmates find jobs once they are released.
