La Villa prison to expand
LA VILLA – A $10.5 million expansion project is expected to add 360 beds to the East Hidalgo Detention Center and allow the prison to house as many as 1,350 inmates.
Administrators broke ground on the addition Wednesday and expect to complete the project by the start of next year.
“We are adding on to our facility simply because of the increase in crimes in the lower Rio Grande Valley,” Warden Elberto E. Bravo said.
The detention center – located along Highway 107 in La Villa -- handles overflow populations from federal and other local lock-ups including the privately-managed Brooks County Detention Center in Falfurrias and Coastal Bend Detention Center in Robstown.
The Brooks County facility can house up to 544 inmates and is often about 90 percent full. Warden Javier Aleman said the extra space in East Hidalgo should provide relief to his detention center.
“It’s great for the company and it’s great for the surrounding areas as well because the extra beds will be used to fulfill the needs for space.”
The addition is also expected to benefit the surrounding communities by providing 50 new job openings for officers. The prison currently has 207 staff members.
It will also add space to allow more visitors.
“Right now during visitation up to 25 families can visit,” Bravo said. “After the addition is done, up to 75 families will be able to visit at one time.”
The East Hidalgo Detention Center is a privately-owned minimum and maximum security prison managed by Lafayette, La.-based LCS Corrections Services.
In 2006, six inmates escaped from the prison. Since the escape all of the technology in the facility has been updated to provide greater security, Bravo said. The new addition will include the same up-to-date technology and increased security cameras with additional staff to avoid another escape.
“I consider everything maximum security,” Bravo said. “I try to treat everybody the same.”
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Lindsay Machak covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4462.
