WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement in which he says he will push the administration to help displaced workers and others who will be impacted by the closure of the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan:
"I am very concerned about the impact of the announcement that the Department of Justice plans to close the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan. Closing this facility so abruptly will put 300 people out of work and cause hardship for those families and many others in this rural community, which already struggles with high unemployment.
"In Cibola County, people have strong ties to the land and culture, and moving for work is a hardship for some. Yet the community got almost no warning that the closure was imminent, and it will have little time to prepare and ensure workers are able to find other jobs.
"I will be pushing the federal government, including the Bureau of Prisons, to extend the contract so employees will have more time to find other jobs. I also will be urging the administration to help displaced workers find new jobs. Finally, I believe the Bureau of Prisons should work with the local community, including Tribal governments, to identify a possible alternative use for the correctional facility and surrounding property."
