NEW PRISON BEING BUILT JUST WEST OF CRESTVIEW

Another great opportunity for Northwest Florida. As mentioned below, this facility will be a great boost to the local economy with more jobs being created in the future.

Prison locks on to Milton
Private facility to employ more than 400 people when it opens in 2010
By JENI SENTER Florida Freedom Newspapers jsenter@srpressgazette.com

MILTON — A privately run special-needs prison will be built in the Santa Rosa Industrial Complex just east of town, officials announced Wednesday. Construction of the $120 million, 2,000-bed prison should begin in a couple of months and be complete in 2010. Santa Rosa County Commissioner Don Salter said the facility should give a boost to the local economy. “This private prison has the potential of generating thousands of jobs over time,” Salter said. GEO Group Inc. will operate the prison. According to a GEO Group news release, the company has been awarded a contract from the state to design, build and operate the prison. The release said the prison will house “medium and close-custody security adult male inmates, the majority of whom will require chronic medical and mental health treatment.” The prison is expected to employ more than 400 people and provide services such as administration, education, health care and information technology. The average salary is reported to be 15 percent above the county’s average wage rate of $15.29 an hour. Workforce Escarosa will oversee the hiring, which is expected to begin in the spring of 2010. A work fair will be held near the time of hiring. Details about applying for a job can be found at workforce escarosa.com. TEAM Santa Rosa president Ed Gray is excited about the prison’s potential economic impact. “This facility presents a great economic boost for our local community,” Gray said. “In light of current economic trends, it is important to identify businesses that are, to a large extent, immune from economic downturns. A construction project of this size will inject capital and create good-paying jobs.” The Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development at the University of West Florida estimates the prison could inject an initial $202.5 million into the local economy, with an additional $46.9 million generated annually. In about 18 months, GEO Group will hold vendor and contractor fairs. Details will be advertised in the local newspapers and placed on TEAM’s Web site. Salter said the prison was made possible through efforts of local government and business leaders. “We look forward to welcoming such a strong addition to our economic landscape and building a strong, lasting relationship with them,” Salter said