derail a jobs
creator.

But opponents, including Isaacs, countered that any new prison was a waste of money for all Arizona taxpayers.

A GEO executive had to correct himself during the hearing for saying
the company had never had an escape at one of its facilities after an
opponent pointed out that an escape had occurred in 2006 at a GEO
facility in Florence. Last year, when The Republic was examining
the bidders for new private prisons, the newspaper found that at least
27 escapes have been reported from GEO facilities over the previous
seven years, including one in Texas that led to a murder.

Pablo Paez, a GEO spokesman, said the Florence escape occurred at a
low-security DUI-offender facility shortly after the company took over
from a prior operator. He added the other escapes predominantly occurred
at low-security facilities, suchas halfway houses where offenders are
placed in the months nearing their release.

During other questions from opponents, GEO officials at least twice
attempted to take control of the meeting from Corrections Director Ryan
by telling the critics that their allotted time to speak had ended, when
it had not. Ryan allowed the critics to continue.

"It was evident that the representatives from the local community are
very supportive of the proposed facility," Paez later said.
"Unfortunately, during any public hearing, outside interest groups which
are not related to the local community can at times overtake a meeting
and bring up issues that are not related to the community's views on the
proposed project. This can lead to spontaneous exchanges which
unfortunately can take away from the central purpose of these public
hearings, which should be for the local community to