BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Officials with the Management & Training Corporation , the company currently handling the contract with the prison, said the deadline for closure has been extended to April 30.

The contract was originally set to expire on March 31, but MTC said it is extending that deadline as the federal Bureau of Prisons works to find an alternative for the facility.

Taft Correctional Institution, which can hold 2,500 inmates and employs around 332 staff members.

News of the institution closing first came to light back in October 2019when officials said they were notified the Bureau of Prisons made plans to close the minimum-security Satellite Camp on January 31.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons said the decision to close the Taft Prison was because funds did not exist for an estimated $100 million worth of repairs. They said the decision came after 10 to 15 years of infrastructure problems at the jail that included geological and seismic concerns.