Western Region Detention Facility was expected to close Thursday following an executive order to phase out private prisons. That could mean 300 workers lose their jobs.
After the contract was extended again on Friday, the Marshals Service continued to stay silent. Spokespeople did not explain what will happen to the detainees who were already transferred out of the jail or clarify the long-term plans for the facility.
Even though the Marshals Service tries to house people within 50 miles of their courthouse, few options remain in San Diego County.a privately run immigration detention facility The Marshals Service houses roughly 8,000 people in 16 private facilities. Another 31 detention centers holding Marshals detainees are run by state or local governments that contract with private companies to manage them.Attorneys at the federal public defender’s office, which represents many clients at Western Region, have spent significantly more time traveling since the Marshals Service started transferring defendants to other counties.
Public defenders have complained about conditions inside Western Region, and so have workers and detainees. Activists have argued that financial incentives drive prison companies like GEO Group to cut costs and provide poorer services.