Multiconstruct

When CoreCivic first sought to use Leavenworth County as a proxy to garner an ICE contract I gave it serious consideration. I was superficially aware of CoreCivic’s failings maintaining adequate staffing putting employees and inmates at unnecessary risk. I knew superficially about the serious issues with private prisons in general and CoreCivic in particular. Cost cutting at the expense of safety and basic needs is the norm in the industry and CoreCivic is the worst amongst them.

I was on the Executive Committee of the Leavenworth Lansing Chamber of Commerce so I had to consider investment in the region, bringing a shuttered facility back online and creating employment opportunities for folks without a college degree. With an immediate public outcry against the plans we weighed the pros and cons quietly. I was pleased when the County quickly dismissed the idea as not in the best interest of their constituents.

With the change of administration I saw news stories about CoreCivics stock price surging, rising 69% in a single week after the election. I was not surprised when CoreCivic began the process of trying to bring CoreCivic back online in Leavenworth with an ICE contract. While discussing the issue online I met a former employee William Rogers who personalized the issue for me.

His firsthand accounts of the impacts of short staffing the unit are graphic and incredibly sad. He had both his head split open and was stabbed. The “observation bubbles” which should be staffed to monitor conditions and provide assistance were routinely closed because of staffing issues. He told me about another co-worker who was also beaten and stabbed requiring 16 surgeries. While on workers comp CoreCivic cut off her health insurance. She lives in poverty in our community unable to work.

Before the facility was shuttered U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson stated in court: “The only way I could describe it frankly, what’s going on at CoreCivic right now is it’s an absolute hell hole”. A 2017 audit found that its officer vacancy rate was nearly 25%. Contraband and weapons were commonplace. Inmates were left unsupervised while guards had to monitor multiple pods. In 2011 CoreCivic was triple-bunking inmates in cells designed for two people but uninstalled the beds to conceal it from its certifying body the American Correctional Association.

CoreCivic is pursuing a Special Use Permit. A public hearing will be held on April 7^th, 2025 at 6:00 PM at Leavenworth City Hall, in front of the Planning Commission. Planning Commisioners will make a recommendation regarding the permit to the Leavenworth City Commission. Leavenworth will hold two more public hearings, also at 6:00 PM, on May 13^th and May 27^th with a vote occurring after the final hearing. In addition to the zoning decision the City will also take up a Government Services Agreement between the City of Leavenworth, ICE, and CoreCivic detailing emergency response and payment arrangements.

I urge the Planning Commission and the City of Leavenworth to deny the permit and to not approve the agreement. CoreCivic has a long history of unsafe operation and their failures to protect their staff and residents make them unfit to operate a detention facility in Leavenworth. Kansas zoning law allows us to weigh the relative gain to the public health, safety, and welfare to the hardship imposed to the property owner. CoreCivic’s poor performance history including the death of a facility resident would negatively impact the health, safety, and welfare of their workforce, facility residents, and the community.

The Bureau of Prisons and Lansing Correctional Facility currently struggle with staffing issues. There is a workforce shortage in the region that shows itself in ways that we all see. CoreCivic would cannibalize the existing workforce without allowing for the safe operation of their facility. CoreCivic struggled with adequate staffing levels in an economy with less workforce challenges than we wrestle with currently.

Even larger issues than CoreCivic’s poor operating history is the current state of the Federal Government. Leavenworth should take no part in the adminsitration of mass deportation where seperating families and casual cruelty are a feature not a bug. Right now the Trump administration has illegally fired 13 Inspectors General who provide critical outside accountability to ensure legal and safe contracting and government operations.

Signing a contract with ICE while numerous contractual obligations are flouted by DOGE cuts and staffing changes. New York City had a contract to house undocumented individuals and families. They provided the residential services and the payments were direct deposited into their account. Without notice or just cause those funds were taken by the Federal government. How can Leavenworth rely on Federal partners to uphold any agreement they make while existing agreements with contractors, employers, and funding recipients are violated across the country.

Leavenworth has an opportunity to protect the health, safety, and well being of our residents by rejecting this special use permit and government services agreement. With the growing unpopularity of Elon Musk and his unaccountable DOGE minions we will likely see a change in Congress in 2026 and a change in administration in 2028. Once again private prisons will fall out of favor and how will CoreCivic maintain their facilities and staffing with a dimmer economic forecast? Why should we undercut the performance and safety of our existing correctional facilities for a potentially short term divisive project with partners who cannot be relied upon?

Contact the Leavenworth City Commission and demand they vote “no” on CoreCivic.

Mayor                   Holly Pittman                     holly.pittman@firstcity.mo          913-449-8991

Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Bauder                    nbauder@firstcity.mo                   913-675-7166

Commissioner   Griff Martin                        griff.martin@firstcity.mo             

Commissioner   Edd Hingula                        edd.hingula@firstcity.mo             913-775-0635

Commissioner   Jermaine Wilson               jwilson@firstcity.mo                      913-617-3667

Show up and testify at Leavenworth City Hall at 6:00 PM on April 7^th, May 13^th, & May 27^th