Prison in Broward County to close

Broward Correctional Institution closing May 1

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – The Broward Correctional Institution, a women's prison on Sheridan Street at U.S. 27, is one of seven state prisons and four work camps the Department of Corrections plans to close in an effort to shave $75 million from its budget. 

The closure of the Broward C.I. has residents asking town leaders in Southwest Ranches to reopen the discussion of building a federal immigration detention facility in the same area. 

List: Prisons to close

"Declining prison admissions has led to a surplus of prison beds, allowing us to pare down our budget shortfall by consolidating and closing our older, less efficient facilities," said Ken Tucker, the Department of Corrections secretary. 

A check of state inmate records shows the population at Broward C.I. has declined over the past few years, from 731 in 2009 to 625 last year. It has 661 beds. 

Statewide, the prison population is also down. In June 2010, there were 102,232 people behind bars. In July 2011, there were 101,729.  According to the DOC, there are roughly 12,000 empty prison beds across the state. 

The move will affect 1,300 prison employees statewide, but only about 50 in Pembroke Pines. It's not much of an economic impact, but it is a major boost to those who oppose a plan to build the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center just up the street. 

"It's astonishing all the blight we have out here because of these facilities," said Bill Discipio, who is part of vocal group of Southwest Ranches residents fighting a proposal to build the 1,500-bed detention center for illegal immigrants. The federal government is contracting with a private company to build that facility. 

Neighbors are worried that will make their community less safe and bring down their property values, and they said town leaders in Southwest Ranches should rethink their support for the federal project. 

"If the town of Southwest Ranches needs to increase its property tax revenue base, then maybe it could find some viable industries to put out here to look into making it part of the Everglades restoration effort,"  Discipio said. 

The attorney representing the town of Southwest Ranches expects the federal government will give final approval to the detention center project in the next 60 days.