California prison employing 1,100 to close in 2021 — and Newsom wants to shut another

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration on Friday announced a plan to shut Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy within a year, following through on Newsom’s pledge to close one or more state prisons while he’s in office.

The facility, which employs 1,080 workers and houses approximately 1,500 inmates, will close its doors on Sept. 30, 2021, according to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Newsom announced plans to close two state prisons during a budget address in May, arguing that doing so would save the state $400 million a year.

Since then, the state has shrunk its inmate population by thousands through early releases meant to reduce the risk of coronavirus. California currently has 93,037 inmates in prisons and correctional camps, down from 114,318 in March and from 117,666 in August 2019.

The inmates will be transferred to other facilities “based on their housing, custody and rehabilitative needs,” according to the department.

The prison cost approximately $182 million annually to run, according to the department. The department plans to work with staff during the transition, with the possibility of some being relocated to other prisons, according to a department statement.

“We are hopeful that our members can be placed in comparable positions at other state prison facilities within a reasonable commute,” said Steve Crouch, director of public employees for the union that represents maintenance staff at the prison.

“Due to (the corrections department) having a high vacancy rate for our trades members, we are confident that the (department) will will be able to place them all,” said Crouch of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Deuel Vocational Institution opened in 1953. It is the sixth oldest prison in California.

In recent years, it’s struggled with an expensive and faulty water filtration system that was estimated to cost more than $30 million to repair. Those upgrade plans were canceled in 2019, according to Dana Simas, department press secretary.

“Given the need to achieve savings and the decline in the prison population since 2007 the state budget called for the closure of a prison. (Deuel Vocational Institution) was chosen for closure based on cost to operate, impact of closure on the workforce, and population housing needs, and prioritization of public safety and rehabilitation,” Secretary Ralph Diaz said in a statement. “The reasons this institution was selected for closure are not a reflection of its quality of work and care, and we could not be prouder of the commitment of our dedicated staff, as well as the accomplishments (Deuel Vocational Institution) has amassed over its 67 year history.”

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spends approximately $13 billion a year, while an addition $2 billion is spent on various other corrections-related programs.

Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, said in a statement that the Deuel Vocational Institution “fits the criteria” for facilities to shut down, and that doing so will save not only nearly $200 million a year in operating costs, but also $800 million in repairs.

This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 1:26 PM with the headline "California prison employing 1,100 to close in 2021 — and Newsom wants to shut another."