Show mtr j :wr-- q rrr- 1“ rw ryrr— - - TT gHim'TSrry Page 10— The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday July 16 1996 Lawmakers discuss scope for private prison SALT LAKE OTY (AP) — the Utah Legislature has already decided to fund 500-be- d private prison Now lawmakers are getting around to debating the pros and cons of that decision Members of the Legislature's interim law enforcement committee heard from t privateers promising to save the state money create jobs and reduce recidivism But opponents ranging from a house- wife from Fillmore to the American Civil Liberties Union question those claims and wondered whether the state can truly afford to balance lives and liability against a company’s bottom line ventures of Some accused the trafficking in human souls “It is economically unwise as well as morally and ethically unsound” said William Jensen spokesman for the Utah Citizens Education Project a newly for-pro- fit formed non-prof- it group addressing social economic and justice issues “It is a commerce in human souls” he said In Utah and elsewhere incarceration rates are up even as crime rates are down Corrections departments are stag- gering under demands that they find cells to house new iimulcs and lawmakers tire of pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into brick mortar and bars An increasingly popular solution has been to contract with private companies which build and operate facilities usualte fee The two ly for a daily firms Corrections largest Corporation of America of Nashville Tenm and Wack-enhper-inma- ut of Palm Beach Garden Fla between them house more than 100000 U inmates Representatives from these two vendors along with two others also testified They maintained their security is tight and their motives go beyond making a buck “I'm working toward putting myself Judge says no to plea bargain in baby death 22 had child-abus- “That’s something we'd be able to manscenario" should the age in a wont-cas- e the state be forced to puB the inmates out of a private prison he said corrections firm But Jensen and others testifying scoffed at the notion that a private company with shareholders and a board of directors would do anything to hurt its on-si- Management ft Training Corp has workers State worker union representatives not surprisingly provided some of the most testimony vehement picked Fillmore as a possible rite Fillmore residents however have forced the city council to place the issue on the ballot Stephanie Barton a housewife who helped organize the opposition said simply that the “community doesn't want them" Haun legislative analysts and representatives of the four private companies te interested in bidding for the Utah prison said the state likely will see cost savings of 5 percent to 15 percent Utah currently pays about $5250 a day to house a Haun cautioned that Utah should never have more than a quarter of its roughly State Prison should go out within a month Haun said No site has been selected however Wackenhut has been negotiating with Duchesne County and Ogden-base- d He said any contract must give the state a voice not only in the prison's management but in its construction An monitor to ensure the state's interests donT fall second to profit also isamusL inmate at the Utah y The prospective bidders have given ranging from S45 to $55 a day Haun said most savings will come reductions in benefits die from have to pay private not would state The request for private prison bids bottom line “Incarceration for profit leaves prison performance on the bottom line' said It was a concern raised by several presenters including Corrections Executive Director Ftete Hum Private prisons are an integral part id his philosophy but he insists the state proceed cautiously medium-securit- long-ter- m Tom Bielen of the Utah Public Employees Association argued that the will remain liable for the inmates ti regardless of where they are housed State workers at least have the benefit of immunity from lawsuits Private prison workers do not Joshua Miller with the American Federation of State County and Municipal trt Employees told the lawmakers not to overlook potential hidden costs of The Best Home Equity Credit Line Ever! SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge has rejected a plea bargain for a Sandy woman who secretly gave birth in her parents' bathroom and then stashed the baby's body in a dresser when it died Heidi Sonnenberg pleaded guilty to 5000 inmates in private facilities out of a job” insisted Marvin Levy of Cornell Corrections a Ventura Calif e e homicide a felony on June 30 In exchange for the plea prosecutors agreed to recommend she be sentenced as if the crime were a misdemeanor and that she not serve any jail time But last week 3rd District Judge Dennis Fuchs called Assistant District Attorney James Cope and defense attorney Earl Xaiz into his office and said he would not accept those terms “He was very general" in his explanation of the reasoning Cope said “He doesn’t have to give any explanations to us but he said he did not feel it was appropriate to reduce (the sentence) at the time of sentencing” Instead Cope said the judge wanted Sonnenberg to complete third-degre- Hurry! Thu id a limited time offer if ’ AT - ' ? probation before agreeing to reduce the sentence “That places the ball back in the defendant's court and she gets to decide what she’s going to do" Cope said Xaiz said the judge suggested Cope allow Sonnenberg to plead to a misdemeanor or Xaiz could petition the judge to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor after Sonnenberg pleaded to a felony and completed probation Xaiz said his client has never denied responsibility Terrific low introductory rate of The interest is tax deductible but has Takes only minutes to apply prominent orthopedic surgeon and granddaughter of a Mormon general authority hid her pregnancy from her family by wearing baggy clothes She allegedly gave birth to the child in the bathroom of her parent's home Jan 14 but the child died An autopsy showed the infant died from blocked air passages was not kept warm and lost too much blood after its umbilical cord was severed with toenail clippers Sonnenberg stashed the baby in a chest of drawers in her room Her mother found it 10 days later when she went into her daugh- Fast approval Apply today from home or office ter’s room and smelled the Just call 1 (800) decomposing corpse In January Son nen here’s father said that in the months leading to the birth they noticed his daughter was increasingly depressed She refused to seek counseling but agreed to move back home 789-LOA- or visit any Zions Bank office N ZIONS BANK South hit by small quake Member FDIC wwwddoiidbankcom SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The University of Utah seismograph station reported a magni- me “The apecial ria fuootk iatraductaiy hnnlap tude 37 earthquake which occurred at 7:11 am today in Rale (APR) iffh of 590 Aiwiul to loam dut have a loan Ip wine ratio of 80S or Ina The regular variable rale which will taka effect ii southern Utah The epicenter of the shock was located 3 miles northeast of St George and immediately west of manthe altar yaw lam btgiwi varim baaed oa the amount of equity you have in your Watt and the prime mate the prime nmiiRiOnCmwinb if loaa-mal- your regular APR will be 0-- 60 the town of Washington 268 miles south of Salt Lake City The earthquake was felt by St George residents but there has ratio ia 51-- 70 your regular 90 tala Aa of ratio l If yaw Inan to value APR will be 915 71-- 00 FnlL’ving our uttroJuctiny rate tlanJard HECL rate t aa lew at 9 - - - jyj 7 r- - 950 Tit APR 81-- 90 anrimum APR ia 18 12 APR and 00 115 Property value deter --imdl 91-1- tlw bank Coneuk your taa advieor conceralag deductibility of iateneat A $15 charge la made far aqy check w draft written will be aaaeaaed TVla offer la available ca home eqHy omit I JT' APR- - againel the hoe far leaa than $500 If the Itoe ia not mad once during aqy calendar year a $50 fee been no report of damage This earthquake was the largest in die area since a magnitude 58 shock on Sept 2 1992 - APR No fees no points no closing costs resisted being branded a felon “There is a feeling on her part she did not commit a felony" Xaiz said Sonnenberg the daughter of a raat- 599 i i m dWiPt meypto$25flK)00 i i Cl |