KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — Two California state prisons will be closing down in the next few years.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced the planned closure of one prison, as well as the contract ending for another, on Tuesday, December 6th. The department is also expected to deactivate some facilities in six prisons, including in Tehachapi.
Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in Blythe is expected to close by March 2025. More than 2,000 prisoners from that prison will need to be relocated to other facilities.
Meanwhile, about 1,900 prisoners will be moved from the California City Correctional Facility after the annual lease with the private prison's contract is terminated in 2024.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says it will work closely with impacted prison staff to help them find work at other facilities and will provide hiring opportunities for them in the coming months and years.
