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The Geo Group has lost a contract to build a prison in Pueblo, after numerous problems with construction and a state audit of the Department of Corrections (DOC).
It was recently reported that an audit of the DOC found that Nolin Renfrow, a former official, may have violated the law by helping the Geo Group obtain a 14 million-per-year contract for a proposed prison in Ault, Colorado. It’s been four years since the Geo Group was awarded the job in Pueblo, and construction hasn’t even begun, according to the Rocky Mountain News:
Geo has failed to break ground in the four years since it won the state contract. At the time, Community Education Centers won a similar deal with the state, and it built a prison in Colorado Springs and opened it 13 months ago, the cancellation letter noted.
Geo officials could not be reached for comment after hours on Monday.
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Recently, Geo demanded more money. It wanted either more money per inmate, or a revenue guarantee that amounted to $1 billion over 30 years for two prisons. Geo also has won a deal to build a prison in Ault.
In June, Rep. Buffie McFadyen (D-Pueblo) sent a letter to the Legislative Audit Committee requesting an investigation into the private prison bidding process.