LaSalle Detention Facility immediately downsizing operation

The Times-Signal has learned that The GEO-Group is in the process of downsizing the operation at the La- Salle Detention Facility located in the town of Jena.

According to information obtained by this newspaper, the staff at LDF is being cut by 22-percent, from 244 to 191 employees. No information was available as to how the downsizing will affect the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies operating at the facility.

The GEO-Group will consolidate some operations as they cut the available bed space for immigration detainees from 1,160 to 576, according to reports obtained.

When contacted at their Boca Raton, Florida headquarters, Pablo E. Paez, director of corporate relations, issued the following statement:

“The GEO Group values its partnership with the community of Jena and LaSalle Parish and will continue to work with community stakeholders to maximize the overall contribution of the facility to the community. As a matter of corporate policy, however, our company cannot comment on specific personnel related decisions.”

A GEO official did say that the downsizing is temporary and occurred because of the economy, but they hoped it would be short-lived.

When contacted on Monday of this week, Jena Mayor Murphy McMillin was upbeat saying, “The sky is not falling. Although we regret The GEO Group is having to downsize, we will keep 191 good paying jobs at the facility.”

“We feel like the LaSalle Detention Facility is a premier operation and GEO and Jena has maintained and will continue to maintain good relationships,” Mayor McMillin said. “We will continue to work closely with GEO in efforts to get the facility back up to full capacity. We are hopeful the national economy will continue to rebound and with it will come positive opportunities with the LaSalle Detention Facility.”

This is part of the January 13, 2010 online edition of The Jena Times.

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