C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center (PCC) was a

Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections The Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) (French: ) is a state law enforcement agency responsible for the incarceration of inmates and management of facilities at state prisons within the state of Louisiana. The agency is headquart ...

prison for men, located in unincorporated

Beauregard Parish Beauregard Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,549. The parish seat and most populous municipality is DeRidder. The parish was formed on January 1, 1913. Beauregard Paris ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, about north of DeQuincy and northwest of Lake Charles. The center was located on

Louisiana Highway 27 Louisiana Highway 27 (LA 27) is a state highway located in southwestern Louisiana. It runs in a general north–south direction from LA 14 in Holmwood to the junction of U.S. Highways 171 and 190 in DeRidder. The route travels i ...

. It had a capacity of 942 prisoners and was a medium security facility.Weston, Elona.
State's decision to close Phelps a surprise to local, state officials
" ''

KPLC KPLC (channel 7) is a television station in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Gray Media, which provides certain services to dual Fox/ ABC affiliate KVHP (channel 29) under a shared se ...

''. September 14, 2012. Updated October 14, 2012. Retrieved on October 25, 2012.

History

In September 2012 the State of Louisiana announced that Phelps was closing. The state said that prisoners would likely be transferred to

Louisiana State Penitentiary The Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola, and nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South", "The Angola Plantation" and "The Farm"Sutton, Keith "Catfish".Out There: Angola angling. ''ESPN Outdoors''. May 31, 2006. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. ...

(Angola) and

Elayn Hunt Correctional Center Elayn Hunt Correctional Center (EHCC) located in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, is a multi-security- level Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections institution for adult men. It is the second-largest prison in Louisiana and is located abou ...

. The state said that the closure would save over $2.6 million in the current fiscal year and about $11.85 million in the 2013-2014

fiscal year A fiscal year (also known as a financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. La ...

. Elona Weston of '' KPLC-TV'' said "PCC was reportedly chosen for consolidation because the offenders there can be accommodated at other facilities easily since PCC does not house maximum security offenders or offenders in infirmary beds." Kenny Naquin, an individual quoted in an ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

'' article, said that he estimated that within an 18-month period prior to the closure announcement, $1 million in improvements had been made to the prison property. The facility was closed on November 1, 2012. 1,000 Phelps prisoners were transferred to the

(Angola) in

West Feliciana Parish West Feliciana Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Feliciana Ouest''; Spanish: ''Parroquia de Feliciana Occidental'') is a civil parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,310. The parish seat is St. F ...

. The state government did not increase Angola's budget, nor did it hire additional employees. In 2015 the Beauregard Parish Sherriff Office Leased the Facility, still owned by the state government, to a Private Owner. It was repurposed as a Transitional Work Release Program. This program was designed as a way to help offenders nearing the end of their time served to reintegrate into society. They are offered GED Classes and Welding instruction, then are allowed to hold jobs to help build their bank accounts. This provides a cushion when they are released so they do not relapse back into the system. Louisiana Workforce LCC operates the program, which operated in the rear portion of the facility. In August 2016 678 prisoners from the

Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) is a prison for women with its permanent pre-2016 facility located in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, United States. It is the only female correctional facility of the Louisiana Department of Public Saf ...

(LCIW) in St. Gabriel were transferred to C. Paul Phelps because LCIW flooded during the

2016 Louisiana floods In August 2016, prolonged rainfall from an unpredictable storm resulted in catastrophic flooding in the state of Louisiana, United States; thousands of houses and businesses were submerged. Louisiana's governor, John Bel Edwards, called the di ...

. They were housed in a different area from the work release portion. By September the female prisoners at Phelps were transferred to the former

Jetson Youth Center Louis Jetson Center for Youth (JCY) is a former juvenile correctional facility in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. ...

, a youth prison near

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient histo ...

which closed in 2014.

Notable inmates

Billy Sinclair Billy Wayne Sinclair (born 1945) is a former prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (also known as ''Angola''), convicted of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted to life in 1972. He became a notabl ...

(prison journalist)Kern, Emily.
Convicted killer Billy Wayne Sinclair freed from prison
" ''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...

''. April 25, 2006. A1. Retrieved on October 28, 2010. "Sinclair was released from Phelps shortly before 530 p.m. Monday Henderson said ..

References

External links

*
C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center
"

Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections The Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) (French: ) is a state law enforcement agency responsible for the incarceration of inmates and management of facilities at state prisons within the state of Louisiana. The agency is headquart ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelps, C. Paul Correctional Center Prisons in Louisiana Buildings and structures in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana 2012 disestablishments in Louisiana