Jails in Dallas, Mineral Wells to Close

State prison system officials have decided to not renew contracts for operating the privately managed Dawson State Jail in Dallas and the Mineral Wells Pre-Parole Transfer Center.

Jason Clark, who's a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, says the contracts with Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America will be allowed to expire Aug. 31. He said inmates will be moved to other state jails and transfer centers.

The Mineral Wells minimum-security prison has a capacity of 2,100 inmates but housed just 796 inmates as of Tuesday. The Dawson State Jail near downtown Dallas housed 2,201 inmates.

The Legislature removed more than $97 million allocated for the facilities, citing declining inmate populations in the state prison system.

Dallas city officials have long wanted to redevelop the Dawson site.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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