ICE signs new contracts with private detention centers in Kern County.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has signed two new contracts with GEO Group Inc.   

Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield is increasing from 400 to 1,800.

Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto is from 1,940 to 2,690. 

AB 32 takes effect on Janauary 01, 2020,

prohibits the state or any other entity from entering into or renewing of contracts with private prison companies after Jan. 1, unless it’s necessary to comply with a court-ordered population cap. Under the bill, private prisons would be phased out completely by 2028.

It allows for the operation of a private detention facility that has a valid contract with a government entity, as long as the contract was in effect before Jan. 1. The law says operation can continue for the duration of the contract but prohibits extensions. 

On a combined basis, the contracts are expected to generate over $200 million in annualized revenues for GEO and will support more than 1,200 full-time jobs. 

“We’re pleased to have been able to build on our long-standing partnership with ICE to help the agency meet its need for processing center beds in California, which comply with the Federal government’s performance-based national detention standards,” said George C. Zoley, GEO’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. GEO has had a long-standing private-public partnership with the federal government that dates back to the 1980s. GEO’s facilities are highly rated and provide high-quality, culturally responsive services in safe and humane residential environments, which meet the needs of the individuals in the care of federal immigration authorities.