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Timeline for Kingman Prison

Posted on 09/02/2010 @ 12:08 AM

The DOC report confirms that Kingman had been operating as a minimum custody facility until 2010 (and the Napolitano administration had operated it as such at least since July 2008, probably because of security concerns.) The Brewer administration then converted it to a Medium Custody facility (and began to house murderers) without any upgrades in security.

Click here to see the Governor's own security assessment, which says, "very little action taken to prepare physical plant and staff for the transition to Medium Custody in April 2010." (bottom of page 5)

Everything on the timeline below is corroborated and compiled primarily from ADOC's website, but also from legislative documents as cited. The one fact we have not been able to corroborate through ADOC records is the date Kingman was downgraded from a mixed medium/minimum facility to a minimum facility.

A key spot in the timeline is Dec. 23, 2009.

Kingman Private Prison/ Department of Corrections Timeline

2004 -- The Kingman facility, which was designed to house 1400 DUI offenders, opened with 450 beds in 2004. According to the the May 7, 2004 minutes of the Arizona Legislature's Joint Select Committee on Corrections, although there were plans for level 2 (minimum security) and level 3 (medium security) inmates at Kingman, those inmates were to be DUI offenders only . In fact, when Sen. Cannell asked for clarification of the level 2 and 3 beds, Schriro explained that "[m]ost DUI offenders are a relatively easy group to manage, but if there is a propensity for violence in the criminal history of the offenders, a higher level of custody is sometimes warranted." Of the 1400 beds, 1, 100 were designed for level 2 inmates and 300 for level 3, or medium security, DUI offenders. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/iminute/house/0507corrections.doc.htm

2005 -- The remaining 950 of 1400 total beds became available at the Kingman facility for DUI offenders.

FY 2006 and 2007 -- According to the ADOC Operating Per Capita Cost Reports, Kingman was a DUI-only facility in FY 2006 and 2007. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/reports/ADC_FY2006_PerCapitaRpt_%20CORRECTED_ORDER.pdf;http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/reports/ADC_FY2007_PerCapitaCostReport.pdf

2008 -- Gov. Napolitano ran a bill (SB 1142) to regulate private prison design and the kinds of prisoners sent from other states, but it never got a hearing. The law has not been amended since that time. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1142p.pdf

July 2008 - December 23, 2009 -- DOC downgraded Kingman to a minimum security facility, where it remained until December 2009. According to DOC's FY 2009 Operating Per Capita Cost Report, Kingman has "[n]o offender with a higher than minimum custody level." (This report covered prison operations up to October 2009.) http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/reports/ADC_FY2009_PerCapitaRpt.pdf (page 15)

September 3, 2009 -- Governor Brewer signed HB 2010 in the 3rd Special Session in September 2009. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/3s/bills/hb2010h.pdf This bill authorized the privatization of all but one of the state prisons, including the maximum security units of those prisons, provided a private prison contractor was willing to pay a $100 million concession to the state at the beginning of the contract. Dir. Ryan had opposed these privatization provisions and had written a letter to Brewer asking her to veto a similar bill when it was introduced three months earlier. (Letter attached.) Despite her director's protests, Brewer authorized the conversion of maximum security prisons to private facilities.

December 23, 2009 -- Kingman changes from a minimum security facility to a minimum/ medium security prison according to DOC's daily prisoner count. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/PDF/count/12232009%20count%20sheet.pdf Approximately 300 beds out of the 1400 total are classified as medium security. The facility could not house murderers unless it was classified at least as high as "medium security." Because the facility housed minimum security prisoners only from July 2008 to December 2009, the 3 escapees must have been transferred to Kingman on or after December 23, 2009.

March 2010 -- The provisions of HB 2010 regarding the conversion of all levels of state prisons to private facilities were repealed in HB 2006 during the 7th Special Session in 2010 because no private contractor showed any interest in making bids on the contract. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/7s/bills/hb2006h.pdf Therefore, the $100 million concession is no longer in place. However, another section of HB 2010 that authorized 5,000 new private prison beds is still effective. Bids have been received for the 5000 beds and are now under consideration. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/divisions/adminservices/notice_rfp22310v2.pdf These would be general population facilities.

April 3, 2010 -- 2000 additional beds become available at Kingman when a new facility opens. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/PDF/count/04032010%20count%20sheet.pdf This new facility was supposed to house medium security inmates, but prison officials determined that it did not comply with minimum standards for medium custody beds. http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubsectionID=797&ArticleID=39368 Therefore, the old facility at Kingman, with its 1400 beds, was converted to a medium security facility. http://www.azcorrections.gov/adc/PDF/count/04032010%20count%20sheet.pdf (It is unclear how the original facility, which,when originally designed, had only 300 beds at medium security level, could have all 1400 beds upgraded to medium security.)

May 2010 -- A riot broke out at the Kingman prison, resulting in a lockdown of the prison and the hospitalization of seven inmates.

July 2010 -- Three medium security prisoners escape from the original 1400 bed facility at Kingman.