C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center

C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center (PCC) was a Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections prison for men, located in unincorporated Beauregard Parish, Louisiana,[1] about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of DeQuincy and 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Lake Charles. The center was located on Louisiana Highway 27.[2] It had a capacity of 942 prisoners and was a medium security facility.[3]

History

In September 2012 the State of Louisiana announced that Phelps was closing. The state said that prisoners would likely be transferred to Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) and Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. The state said that the closure would save over $2.6 million in the current fiscal year and about $11.85 million in the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Elona Weston of KPLC-TV said "PCC was reportedly chosen for consolidation because the offenders there can be accommodated at other facilities easily since PCC does not house maximum security offenders or offenders in infirmary beds."[3] Kenny Naquin, an individual quoted in an Associated Press article, said that he estimated that within an 18-month period prior to the closure announcement, $1 million in improvements had been made to the prison property.[4] The facility was closed on November 1, 2012.[5]

1,000 Phelps prisoners were transferred to the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) in West Feliciana Parish. The state government did not increase Angola's budget, nor did it hire additional employees.[6]

In 2015 the Beauregard Parish Sherriff Office Leased the Facility, still owned by the state government,[7] to a Private Owner. It was repurposed as a Transitional Work Release Program. This program was designed as a way to help offenders nearing the end of their time served to reintegrate into society. They are offered GED Classes and Welding instruction, then are allowed to hold jobs to help build their bank accounts. This provides a cushion when they are released so they do not relapse back into the system. Louisiana Workforce LCC operates the program, which operated in the rear portion of the facility.[7]

In August 2016 678 prisoners from the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) in St. Gabriel were transferred to C. Paul Phelps because LCIW flooded during the 2016 Louisiana floods. They were housed in a different area from the work release portion.[7] By September the female prisoners at Phelps were transferred to the former Jetson Youth Center, a youth prison near Baker which closed in 2014.[8]

Notable inmates

References
  1. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Beauregard Parish, LA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 21 (PDF p. 22/30). Retrieved 2022-08-15. C Paul Phelps Correctional Ctr
  2. "C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine." Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. Retrieved on October 28, 2010.
  3. Weston, Elona. "State's decision to close Phelps a surprise to local, state officials." KPLC. September 14, 2012. Updated October 14, 2012. Retrieved on October 25, 2012.
  4. "Closing news stuns DeQuincy state prison workers Archived 2012-10-23 at the Wayback Machine." Associated Press at WBRZ. September 16, 2012. Retrieved on September 16, 2012.
  5. "Louisiana Department of Corrections: C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center Archived 2014-04-19 at the Wayback Machine." Retrieved on April 19, 2014.
  6. Shen, Aviva (2016-10-29). "Angola prison rodeo offers risks and rewards for Louisiana's hard-knock lifers". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  7. Lau, Maya (2016-08-30). "Louisiana women's prison shuttered after flood, nearly 1,000 inmates relocated to various lockups". The Advocate. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  8. Chawla, Kiran (2016-09-09). "Hundreds of evacuated female inmates transferred to closed EBR youth center". WAFB. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  9. Kern, Emily. "Convicted killer Billy Wayne Sinclair freed from prison." The Advocate. April 25, 2006. A1. Retrieved on October 28, 2010. "Sinclair was released from Phelps shortly before 530 p.m. Monday Henderson said[...]"

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