CoreCivic housing fewer ICE detainees than expected at reopened Kansas prison
Immigration attorney Michael Sharma-Crawford is part of Leavenworth's CoreCivic Community Relations Advisory Board, which met May 4 for the first time. It oversees CoreCivic's compliance with city regulations at the Midwest Regional Reception Center. (Photo by Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)
LEAVENWORTH — CoreCivic’s newly reopened prison is holding about 250 immigration detainees, a slower ramp-up to full capacity than expected, an official said Monday.
Misty Mackey, warden of the Midwest Regional Reception Center, said that while the company expected to move to capacity of 1,104 detainees slowly, it is a little behind schedule.
“I know with the ICE budget that was passed, that might pick up a little bit now, so we’ll see what that has in store for us,” she said.
On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee and Homeland Security Committee released a reconciliation bill budgeting $72 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through 2029, the Hill reported. The special budget reconciliation process means the bill can pass with a majority vote, rather than needing 60 votes.
Mackey spoke after the first meeting of the 14-person CoreCivic Community Relations Advisory Board on Monday, set up to ensure CoreCivic doesn’t repeat past negative behaviors at its reopened prison facility.
CoreCivic ran a private prison in Leavenworth before losing its government contract in 2021. Since then, the prison has been shut down, and the city and Nashville-based company spent the past year in court battling about its reopening. Many community members spoke out against CoreCivic because of past prisoner treatment, which led one judge to call the prison a “hell hole.”
The committee dove into details of agreements between CoreCivic and the city at its first meeting.
Scott Peterson, city manager, detailed CoreCivic’s special use permit and performance agreement, both of which allow city officials oversight of prison operations.
The special use permit, which was approved by the city commission in March after a contentious year-long fight, outlines 17 conditions the company must meet around zoning and building use for the Midwest Regional Reception Center.
A performance agreement isn’t usually part of a special use permit, Peterson said, but because of community concerns the performance agreement expands expectations around working with city officials and law enforcement. If terms of the agreement are violated, the special use permit can be pulled, he said.
Leavenworth Mayor Nancy Bauder said she is pleased with the cooperation between CoreCivic and the city, and she expects future meetings to dig into more specifics.
“This is really general right now,” she said. “As we get closer to the (American Correctional Association) part, we will have a lot more things to cover.”
Leavenworth’s CoreCivic Community Relations Advisory Board met for the first time May 4, gathering at the Riverfront Community Center to begin oversight of CoreCivic’s prison facility. (Photo by Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)
Bauder referred to city requirements that CoreCivic license the MRRC through the American Correctional Association, a process expected to take about 18 months.
What is happening with CoreCivic is new to Leavenworth’s government, she said. Although the community has two other prisons, Bauder said, the city has no right to enforce anything to do with federal facilities.
However, the community’s past experiences when CoreCivic operated the prison before closing in 2021 necessitated more oversight, the city commission decided during meetings that drew public input from hundreds of people.
In court filings, Leavenworth’s attorneys said CoreCivic officials didn’t report inmate deaths to the police department for as long as six days and impeded investigations into sexual assaults and other violent crimes.
“We must make sure it never happens again,” Bauder said.
Community members who were upset with the idea of CoreCivic reopening to house ICE detainees told her they understood the city commission had little choice in approving the special use permit, Bauder said of the weeks after the approval. Immediately afterward, numerous people posted on social media that they were angry the commission approved the permit.
“(They’re) more angry about ICE,” Bauder said. “I understand about ICE. I’m angry about them, too. But this is our special use permit here. The community, from what I’ve noticed, has been very supportive, and they said, ‘Well, you’re in a hard place.’ ”
City Commissioner Holly Pittman said at the time that she was concerned they would be in expensive court battles they might lose if they didn’t approve the permit.
In addition, Bauder said, the federal government could have purchased the prison, and then the city would have no oversight.
Mackey said CoreCivic typically takes part in community committees like the one in Leavenworth, though they typically meet quarterly whereas Leavenworth is meeting monthly.
The meetings are open to the public as part of the Kansas Open Meetings Act regulations because city commissioners are committee members. The public can’t enter MRRC for tours, so city commissioners won’t all go on tour at the same time, Peterson said.
Access to the prison and observing operations are part of city requirements for the special use permit. Several committee members were planning a tour after Monday’s meeting.
Members of the Immigration CoreCivic Community Relations Advisory Board include city officials. the police chief, CoreCivic representatives, a member from the Carceral Accountability Council, corrections professionals, faith and religious leaders, an immigration attorney, community representatives and others.