TAFT, Calif. — On Friday, Congressman Kevin McCarthy released a statement to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons requesting that officials do not remove inmates from the Taft Correctional Institution and keep it operating.
This week,BOP officials confirmed its decision to close the Taft Prison on January 31 because funds did not exist for an estimated $100 million worth of repairs.
Congressman McCarthy said that he was not given an advance notice about the future closure of the jail and has requested that BOP "immediately suspend any activities related to removing inmates from the facility".
You can read the congressman's full statement below:
“I am extremely concerned by the Federal Bureau of Prison’s recent announcement regarding the deactivation of the Taft Correctional Institution (TCI), as well as with the rapid schedule the Bureau has indicated it plans to remove inmates from this facility. No advance notice of the closure was provided to me, and the Bureau has so far refused to share detailed information regarding this decision and supporting materials, other than limited information included in the original deactivation notification. Given the serious impact that TCI’s closure would have on our community, until there is a better understanding of this determination, I have requested the Bureau and U.S. Department of Justice immediately suspend any activities related to removing inmates from this facility.”
