PRIVATELY OWNED PRISON WELCOMES ITS FIRST INMATES

SAYRE -- Drills, procedure reviews and field trips finally have given way
to the first arrival of prisoners for the staff at the new North Fork
Correctional Facility.

The private, medium-security prison -- Oklahoma's largest -- has received
two shipments of prisoners in the past week. Security Chief John Wisener
expects another busload Friday.

For the 280 prison employees, the arrival of prisoners has been a relief.

"The waiting was tough," said Wisener, who has a staff of 191 correctional
officers and supervisors. "We had to find something to do to keep the staff
busy. We've been sitting idle since we opened in January, waiting for the
prisoners to take their place. But it gave us time to work out the bugs on
our policies and procedures."

On May 1, Warden Rick Hudson and his staff greeted 58 Oklahoma prisoners
from a state-owned prison in Lexington and private prisons in Cushing and
Holdenville. Another 39 prisoners arrived Tuesday from San Antonio -- all
state Corrections Department inmates.

The state is paying $43.49 per day for each inmate housed. The rate goes
down if more than 455 inmates are placed.

Corrections Corporation of America, which owns the prison, is in continuous
negotiations to fill North Fork's state-high capacity of 1,440.

"They're still working on the names and numbers," Wisener said. "We expect
anywhere from 25 to 40 more prisoners."

He said North Fork's next group of prisoners most likely will come from the
Lexington Assessment and Reception Center.

What the first 97 prisoners found on their arrival to North Fork were
sturdy, chain-link fences topped with razor wiring and video cameras.

The 60-acre prison and grounds also feature a computer lab, law library and
baseball fields.

"One of the prisoners who arrived from San Antonio remarked, 'Oh, we get to
exercise on a real baseball field with real grass.' Evidently they had been
exercising on the roof of a building," Wisener said. "So, I think the
prisoners are glad to be here, glad to finally get out in the yard."

And the prison staff is glad to see them.

"There was a lot of relief when the first bus pulled in," Wisener said. "We
were all anxious."