Idaho set to Takeover Private Prison

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho correctional officials say the upcoming state takeover of a Boise private prison will be seamless.

The state will begin running the more than 2,000-bed Idaho Correction Center starting July 1 when the $29 million-a-year contract with the Corrections Corporations of America expires. Warden Randy Blades said that the transition process is 98 percent complete during an Idaho Board of Corrections meeting Thursday.

Blades says the most important part of the transition is making sure the takeover goes as smoothly as possible so as not to disrupt the staff and prisoners. Blades says correctional officers and staff have been trained to begin immediately, and services such as the pharmaceutical vendors and educational programs have been prepped for the transition.