CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR PROPOSES SHUTTING 5 PRIVATE PRISONS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - In a move he says could save the state about $5
million a year, Gov. Gray Davis has proposed shutting down five of the
state's nine private prisons.

Davis' plan, outlined in the state budget, also suggests phasing out the
remaining prisons after their contracts expire.

Davis had promised the Correctional Peace Officers Association, one of the
most influential interest groups in the state, that he eventually would end
the state's experiment with private prisons. In return, the union spent
$2.3 million to help elect Davis four years ago.

The union has fought the use of private prisons because it has no
jurisdiction over them.

Davis spokesman Steven Maviglio said the union's political influence had
nothing to do with Davis' proposal to close the prisons.

"The main reason is to save money and because of the declining inmate
population," he said. "But one of the reasons is that privatization is more
trouble than it has been worth. There have been a lot of lawsuits and
headaches."

The five private prisons scheduled for closure house a combined 1,400
inmates. Although the state's prison population has fallen in recent years,
California's 33 public prisons remain at nearly 190 percent of capacity,
according to the Department of Corrections.