Community Victory! Chuckwalla Valley State Prison (CVSP) is officially deactivated, marking California’s third state prison closed!

Closing CVSP is expected to free up over $100 million in ongoing funds annually. By reinvesting even a portion of the funds saved by closing CVSP, Blythe could be in position to repurpose the infrastructure and land as well as invest in county-run economic initiatives.

These savings could be even greater. For now, closed California prisons such as CVSP are being kept in “warm shutdown” mode, in which millions are allocated for staff and maintenance of basic facility operations even after the prison has been emptied.

CURB’s #CloseCAPrisons campaign demands the permanent closure of state prisons and either tearing them down or repurposing them in non-extractive, non-carceral ways that meet community needs.

Fully closing the current deactivated facilities (CVSP, California Correctional Center (CCC) and Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI), as well as five additional prisons as recommended by the LAO, could save the state over $1 billion annually and an additional $2 billion in capital costs over the next decade.

While tough on crime election results raise concerns about potential increases in the state’s prison population, California’s historically low prison population suggests that current and ongoing reforms can continue to allow for additional prison closures. 

By following recommendations outlined in CURB’s Prison Closure Roadmap ( bit.ly/CURBroadmap), @cagovernor @gavinnewsom could work with local community members to revitalize the economy of towns like Blythe AND reduce harmful consequences of abrupt transfer processes on incarcerated people.

The fight for a safer, healthier, greener state continues! 

#CloseCAPrisons #CareNotCages