The Saguaro Correctional Center (SCC) is a private prison for male inmates, owned and operated by

CoreCivic CoreCivic, formerly the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. Co-founded in 1983 in Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the ...

located in Eloy,

Pinal County, Arizona Pinal County is in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's third-most populous county. The county seat is Florence. The county was founded in 187 ...

. The prison contracts with the

Hawaii Department of Public Safety The Hawaii Department of Public Safety is a department within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is headquartered in the 919 Ala Moana Boulevard building in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Department of Public Safety is m ...

as well as the

Idaho Department of Corrections The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) operates nine prisons, four community release centers and 20 probation and parole offices in seven districts located throughout the state of Idaho. The agency has its headquarters in Boise. IDOC employs a ...

. As of 2016 the prison, located in the

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona ...

, houses the majority of the

State of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

's male prison population.Brady, Kat.
Using private prisons costs more than it seems
" (editorial) ''

Honolulu Star Advertiser The ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' is the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, formed in 2010 with the merger of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' and the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' after the acquisition of the former by Black Press, which already owned the ...

''. June 18, 2010. Retrieved on September 29, 2010. Saguaro, which houses multiple security levels, is on Arizona State Highway 87, halfway between

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

and

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. Saguaro is adjacent to three other prisons also run by CCA: the

Eloy Detention Center The Eloy Detention Center is a private prison located in Eloy, Pinal County, Arizona, owned and operated by CoreCivic, formerly the Corrections Corporation of America, under contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ...

, the

La Palma Correctional Facility The La Palma Correctional Facility is a privately owned and managed medium-security detention center for men, located in Eloy, Pinal County, Arizona, under contract with ICE. The facility opened in 2008, and houses 3060 immigrants. La Palma is ...

, and the

Red Rock Correctional Center The Red Rock Correctional Facility is a medium-security, privately owned and operated state prison for men located in Eloy, Pinal County, Arizona, owned and operated by the Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Arizona Depa ...

. The nearest city with food and lodging is

Casa Grande , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = Casa Grande-Casa Grande Union High School-1920-2.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption = Historic Casa Grande Union High School which now serves as the ...

.Saguaro Correctional Center
"

. Retrieved on September 30, 2010.

History

The $95 million Saguaro prison was dedicated on Tuesday, June 26, 2007. The opening meant that the

could consolidate prisoners who had been held in

private prisons in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, and

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. When the prison opened, 160 employees were hired, and some employees had experience working with Hawaii convicts. The staff members attended a "Hawaiian diversity training class" on the day of the prison's dedication. Louise Grant, the vice president of marketing and communications for CCA, said that the prison was intended to have 300 employees. In a two-year span, from 2008 to 2010, four Hawaii prisoners died at the hospital after being involved in incidents occurring at Saguaro. 42-year-old Patrick Garcia died in May 2008. 60-year-old James Kendricks died in August 2008. An inmate named Cartel, while being transported to a nearby hospital, died in October 2008. In February 2010, 26-year-old Bronson Nunuha was murdered while under a 22-hour-per-day lockdown. 23-year-old Clifford Medina died on June 8, 2010. As of 2010, three Hawaii prisoners, including at least one from Saguaro, are facing capital murder charges from crimes that prosecutors say were committed in private prisons on the mainland that house Hawaii prisoners. In 2010, Kat Brady, a coordinator of the Community Alliance on Prisons, argued that the State of Hawaii is not forcing CCA to demonstrate accountability and transparency while the state is paying CCA to operate the prison. During that year, Ron Thompson, the vice president of operations of CCA, responded to Brady's editorial, saying that the prisons are independently audited. The State of Hawaii annually spends over $60 million per year to house prisoners at Saguaro.Fawcett, Denby.
Lawmakers Want Governor To Sign Prisons Audit Bill
" ''

KITV KITV (channel 4) is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by Allen Media Group alongside multicultural independent station KIKU (channel 20). The two stations ...

''. June 22, 2010. Retrieved on June 22, 2010. As of 2010 the 1,897-bed facility houses 1,871 male prisoners.Kakesako, Gregg K.
Third Hawaii inmate faces death penalty in Arizona
" ''

Honolulu Star-Advertiser The ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser'' is the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, formed in 2010 with the merger of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' and the ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' after the acquisition of the former by Black Press, which already owned the ...

''. September 4, 2010. Retrieved on September 30, 2010. SCC has stun fences and alarm systems that are designed to prevent escapes and false alarms. It also houses X-ray machines, metal detectors, and security cameras that, according to the prison administration, are "virtually impossible" to destroy. The facility was designed to serve male and female prisoners. CCA arranged for the prison to serve a menu catering to the tastes of Hawaii prisoners. Louise Grant said that the prison observes Hawaii holidays, and the operations will accommodate Hawaiian religious belief practices.Dayton, Kevin.
Arizona prison will house Hawaii inmates
" ''

The Honolulu Advertiser ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Int ...

''. Tuesday June 26, 2007. Retrieved on September 30, 2010.

References

External links

*

"

. *
Saguaro Correctional Center
"

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Saguaro Correctional Center Prisons in Arizona Private prisons in the United States Buildings and structures in Pinal County, Arizona Infrastructure completed in 2007 CoreCivic Eloy, Arizona 2007 establishments in Arizona