Salute to Diamondback and Huerfano Employees

Saying good-bye is never easy. But when it comes to closing a CCA facility, saying good-bye is just plain painful.

"This is very difficult," explains Ron Thompson, Vice President, Business Unit 1. "But it's the most difficult for the staff involved who have invested their time, effort and careers at these facilities and are now being told we no longer have work for them at the facility. It's extremely painful for employees to go through this."

Losing the contract with Arizona is no reflection on the facilities' performance records or their value to the company's former partner.

"I've had contact with our Arizona partner," says Thompson. "They made it very clear that both of these facility closings never had anything to do with operational performance and they were always very satisfied. They're very complimentary of our staff and their performance at both Diamondback and Huerfano."

InsideCCA.com asked Bob Kurtz and Lane Blair, wardens at Huerfano Correctional Center and Diamondback Correctional Facility (respectively), about their experience in closing the facilities that, for years, they've called home.

InsideCCA: What was it like to break the news to employees?

Warden Kurtz: Very tough. I opened the facility in November 1997. I have known many of those employees for a long, long time. They're all very dedicated and hard-working – whether they've been there for 12 years, 12 months or 12 weeks. To tell them the facility was closing was the hardest thing I've had to do in working for CCA in the last 15 years.

Warden Blair: It's been a difficult message to deliver to the staff because they are really dedicated employees and I've seen their hard work and the pride they have in the facility. To tell them we've lost the contract and the facility is going to close . . . it's been heartbreaking.

Inside: What's made you most proud in these last few weeks?

Kurtz: That the employees never lost focus of the mission. They continued to go above and beyond – to do their jobs even with the distraction that they were about to lose their jobs.

Blair: What's really made me proud is how focused the staff are, even with the bad news. They've stayed focused on our operations and are performing on a high-level with the distractions and the stress of the closing. Even though it's a really bad situation, staff have remained as upbeat and positive as possible under the circumstances.

Inside: How would you describe your staff's dedication to CCA?

Kurtz: They epitoimize CCA's guiding principles, demonstrating and representing integrity, trust, respect and loyalty as they go about their daily activities. They're extremely dedicated, hardworking and talented corrections professionals.

Blair: In a word, unwavering. Even with the reality of the facility closing they have not lost focus on our operations – staff are safe, inmates are safe and they know what our facility means to the company overall. They know that how we ramp our facility down will affect how it's ramped back up when we get a new contract. And they understand how they perform now will affect the future of this facility and the company.

Inside: What message do you want your employees to take away from their experience at the facility?

Kurtz: I want to say that I genuinely and sincerely appreciate all their contributions to the goals of the facility and I wish them the best of luck.

Blair: The message I want them all to know is how much I appreciate them all and what they’ve done to forward the success of our facility. Words really cannot describe how much I appreciate that they have remained dedicated and helped each other get better every day. We've been through challenging times together and always overcome them. Staff have always meet those challenges in positive, professional ways. We all owe everyone here a big debt of gratitude for their service.

"I want to say that we very much appreciate employee commitments to each of these facilities," says Thompson. "And, we want to assure them CCA is aggressively marketing these facilities so they can be reopened in the near future. We are counting on them to come back to these facilities, if they are available. We want them back."

Huerfano County Correctional Center closed March 22, 2010. Diamondback Correctional Facility will close May 27.

Sound Out

Lisa Cecil at FSC:

I pray that these closings are only temporary. I know many employees at both facilities and hope they are in a position to transfer or find work until we can reopen. I refuse to say a permanent good bye to these exceptional, corrections professionals.

Linda Weatherton at Diamondback:

During my employment with Diamondback I have had the pleasure to meet and work with a great group of people. It's hard to think that it is coming to an end, as I know that alot of our staff will be moving onward and hopefully upward. I wish all the best in what they decide to do, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for making it a joy to come to work. I fully intend to be back when we reopen, so ...Hope to see you SOON!!! Thanks all!

K. Danielle Edwards at Facility Support Center:

Thanks to the wardens for their willingness to transparently discuss this difficult issue.

Mark Fellows at Northeast Ohio Correctional Center:

We went through a closing here in 2001. It was very difficult on everyone from employess to inmates to the community at large. It is never easy. I am glad to see that the folks at Huerfano continue to maintain high standards, it shows what you are made of. We reopened, in time. Please keep postive and know you all are in our prayers.

James Carey at DBCF:

As a team, we have held our heads high, and our shoulders broad. The days working with my fellow staff members will be missed greatly and never replaced. I look forward to the day we return, and continue to prove that Diamondback is the best, never faltering, and always concious of our mission.

Rob Van Pelt at Red Rock:

My thoughts are with you all. I look forward to some of you making the move to Arizona.

angela gohr at crossroads:

good luck to all of you during these hard times. having gone through this myself at prairie-it is not easy but together we can make it through. my thoughts are with you and your families.

Louise Grant at FSC:

As we think closely about our fellow co-workers and their families I know we must keep top-of-mind that CCA has invested so much in these fine correctional centers, and as the owner we are highly committed to finding other government partners! This is not the end, just a pause. My prayers are with all of you at Diamondback and Huerfano.

Damon Hininger at FSC:

I am so proud of all of our fine employees at these two facilities. As I said to them recently, the work to find another customer will not stop!

Brigham Sloan at Bent:

Bent has had the good fortune of being able to bring some of the staff from Huerfano into our family. While I know it is unfortunate that they had to make this transition, I must say the quality of the staff from Huerrfano has been superb. I hope they have the opportunity to return to Huerfano soon, but in the mean time we have some great additions.

Carlos at Ponce/Adult Puerto Rico:

I know exacly what those employee going thought right now that happen to me in Ponce/Adult Puerto Rico in 2002..When we losing the contract with Puerto Rico .I was Shift Supervisor. I know that CCA family take care those employees...Jimmy Turner did it for us..

Rebekah Hogue at Diamondback Correctional Facility:

I would just like to say that I'm honored to have been apart of this great team for over 4 years and will never forget the friends and people Ive worked with. I would say that for my first but not final home with CCA I had a great start. I would like to tell all of my Supervisors thank you for all you've done I admire you all greatly. Also to my Charlie Team BL and JBL and Team 1 Days thank you for all the great memories and laughs I Love You Guys. God Bless and Good Luck. Hoggie

Melannie Tindall at Diamondback:

It's hard knowing the facility is closing. Your fellow staff members become part of your family so its extremely hard to say good-bye. Diamondback is a great place to be part of and CCA is good company to be with. I will never forget any of my fellow staff members that i have had the opportunity of working with. We continue to have high hopes in regards to reopening.

Heidi Miller at Diamondback:

I've been at DbCF for over 7 years and it hit hard for me it was 2 days before my b-day and now its even harder because my grandma is going to pass soon and I talked my two brothers into working hear to (they love it also). Yet I hold my head up and am very pround to work for CCA and DbCf I will miss everyone I've meet and the laughs and stories of days past, not to mention their unwaivering support in times of need.