New federal prison moving toward full staffing

GAINESVILLE - The new federal prison in Gainesville plans to add more employees over the next few months.

Bonnie Abernathy, spokeswoman for the North Georgia Detention Center, says there are now 131 people employed at the lock-up... with plans to add another 30-35.

"The majority of them are going to be for detention officers," Abernathy said.

She said with the hiring of the additional workers, the facility, located in the old Hall County Detention Center on Main Street, will be fully staffed. Abernathy said people interested in applying for the jobs should continue to check the "Job Events" section of the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) Web site for an announcement that applications are being taken. CCA operates the prison for the federal government.

The first inmates began arriving about 10 days ago and Abernathy said the first few days of operation "have gone better than expected." Asked what she meant by that, she replied "as a new facility, it's always hard to determine (how things are going to be) but we have no complaints."

The new prison houses immigration detainees for the U.S. government.

Abernathy said that the contract that CCA has with the government her from saying how many people are being held there.