Arizona to revamp request for private prison bids

Three inmates’ escape from a privately operated state prison near Kingman has prompted Arizona to start over on getting bids from private prison companies for 5,000 additional beds.

Corrections Director Charles Ryan says he canceled a request for proposals earlier this month because changes are necessary to avoid repeats of the July 30 escape. The three violent offenders who broke out have been apprehended, but two are accused of murdering an Oklahoma couple in New Mexico while on the loose.

Ryan has said the Kingman prison was riddled with security flaws that the department’s oversight failed to detect.

He says the canceled RFP for the 5,000 additional beds will be replaced with one that ensures bidders meet security and operational requirements.