Prisons make big dollar impact in Fremont County
meredith Lopez
Bars of gold
CHIEFTAIN PHOTOS/ TRACY HARMON
Razor wire, a stone fence and a manned guard tower at Colorado Territorial
Correctional Facility are common sights around Fremont County where prisons
have a huge economic impact.
Prisons make big dollar impact in Fremont County
By TRACY HARMON
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
CANON CITY - No county in the state benefits more from the criminal element
than Fremont County.
Fremont County is home to eight of the Colorado Department of Corrections'
28 prisons.
Ari Zavaras
"Since day one in 1871 when Territorial became the state's first prison,
we've been in partnership with Canon City and Fremont County," said Ari
Zavaras, executive director for the DOC.
The county's DOC prisons house 4,685 of the state's 22,000 total inmate
population. The economic benefit of housing prisoners has rippling impacts
that go far beyond the obvious salaries that employees make.
According to statistics amassed by DOC spokeswomen Alison Morgan and Kathy
Church, the state's total operating costs of its prisons in Fremont County
this year will be $49.2 million. The eight prisons employ 2,100 staffers who
are paid $113.6 million in total salaries. The average annual salary is just
over $54,000.
Of that total, 56 percent - or 1,181 - of those corrections staffers live in
Fremont County, so an estimated $63.6 million in salaries stays in Fremont
County.
Bruce Redus
"State corrections staff make more than $20,000 above the average annual
wage in Fremont County when you consider benefits," said Bruce Redus,
Fremont Economic Development Corp.'s executive director. "There always has
been a comfort level that those government wages are coming into Fremont
County and that certainly insulates us during down times."
"From day one it has been an advantage to us with a bunch of facilities
together like they are in Fremont County. It helps from an emergency
standpoint and even beyond that with a consolidated administration," Zavaras
said.
For example, several of the Canon City-based wardens oversee more than one
prison.
"It works very effectively to do it that way. Even though the Department of
Corrections is a large budget item in the Legislature, it is very
efficient," Zavaras said.
So even though Fremont County prisons make up 29 percent of the state's
facilities, it only accounts for 25 percent of the budget. Zavaras said part
of the reason for that is Fremont County's concentration of Correctional
Industries programs which are all cash-funded and not reflected in the
budget.
Zavaras is optimistic the DOC and Fremont County partnership will continue
to blossom.
"In the economic downturn (of 2003) it was difficult for the DOC to have
inmate work crews out in Fremont County. That is one thing I plan to get
back into Fremont County," Zavaras said.
"Work crews are good for the county and good for the inmate personnel. If we
can help Fremont County in any way, it is appropriate to continue that
partnership," Zavaras said.
When the dollars are all totaled, DOC operating costs and staff salaries
account for $112.8 million annually, but that is just the beginning of the
economic dollars that the corrections industry circulates in Fremont County.
Examples of other impacts that go beyond that are the $1.35 million paid
during the past year to St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City where a
recent expansion included special secure facilities for inmates, and
$225,000 to the Canon City physicians who treat the prisoners transferred to
the hospital for care.
Inmates weld the inside of a cell in the metal shop at the Fremont prison in
Canon City where more than $300,000 in supplies are purchased from local
businesses.
Utilities such as electric, gas, water and sewage for the eight prisons
added up to $5.8 million during the past year.
Other expenditures last year included supplies for correctional industries'
businesses that operate out of Fremont County.
A total of $900,000 was spent on feed mix for the dairy, which was a
cooperative purchase with the local Nichols dairy - a practice that keeps
costs down for both businesses; and $300,322 in purchases were made through
Penrose Steel where supplies for the correctional industries metal shop are
obtained.
Small local businesses benefit from a myriad of purchases from corrections,
such as $122,745 in expenditures at Sonny's Ace Home Center, a local
hardware store.
The prisons also make thousands of small purchases at stores such as
Wal-Mart, equipment rental companies, contractors that help with everything
from electrical to concrete work, and even veterinary services for the
correctional industries' inmate-trained canine companion program.
Recovery programs that serve primary prison inmates employ roughly 60
workers in Fremont County.
Another boon to Fremont County is the DOC Training Academy, which operates
at the Holy Cross Abbey campus in Canon City and trains all of the state's
new correctional workers. The DOC leases an Abbey building for $158,000
annually in addition to paying for lodging, meals and gym rental to the
Abbey.
Another business that benefits from having the training academy here is Rick
and Shelley Smitley's Dress Code at 132 E. Main St. in Florence, where
correctional workers can purchase uniforms, patches, coats and other
accessories.
"I would say 60 percent of our business is state employees. Every time the
training academy has a graduating class, we feel the economic benefit
because their employees purchase accessories, additional clothing and other
things," Shelley Smitley said.
The Smitleys add the personal touch with amenities such as free shipping,
embroidery work, tailoring and all the rank insignia patches state
corrections workers need stitched onto their uniforms.
In exchange for their customer service during the past three years, the
Smitleys are treated to a clientele that is very trustworthy.
Inmates work among rows of sweet corn during a recent summer at the East
Canon Prison Complex in Canon City where Correctional Industries
expenditures for supplies help boost the local economy.
"They are a dream clientele because they've had background checks to get
their jobs, so it is a lot easier to relax as a business person because we
know we can take their checks. While the state corrections workers are here
taking classes at the training academy, they use other local businesses, too
- eat out at local restaurants, buy antiques - it is just good business,"
Shelley Smitley said.
Predictions are that the corrections relationship will continue to grow in
Fremont County with the proposed 960-bed Colorado State Penitentiary II. It
is tentatively scheduled to open in August 2009, and will employ an
estimated 500 employees. The penitentiary will cost approximately $143
million to build, and during construction will generate various jobs in the
building industry in Fremont County.
©1996-2007The Pueblo Chieftain Online
_________________________________________________________________
From predictions to trailers, check out the MSN Entertainment Guide to the
Academy Awards®
http://movies.msn.com/movies/oscars2007/?icid=ncoscartagline1