Justice Department investigators yesterday raised sharp questions about management of a major private prison contract, for a facility holding unauthorized immigrants in Texas, McClatchy Newspapers reports. An Inspector General’s report probes issues with the Reeves County Detention Center, designed to house up to 2,407 low-security, non-U.S. citizens. The contract has an estimated value of $493 million, and is DOJ’s second largest contract in terms of total dollars obligated since fiscal year 2014.
Part of the work is subcontracted out to the Florida-based Geo Group, Inc., and to the Tennessee-based Correct Care Solutions, LLC. According to investigators, the Reeves County center “consistently struggled to meet or exceed baseline contractual standards; received an unacceptable number of deficiencies and notices of concern; was unresponsive to (Bureau of Prison) inquiries; struggled with staffing issues in health services and correctional services; and frequently submitted inaccurate routine paperwork, including erroneous disciplinary hearing records and monthly invoices.”