Even though there’s no bid awarded—or even any requests for proposals to build a prison that we know of—there’s a sure bet that the demand for prisons are not going down.

And it’s a good bet that Corrections Corporation of America is not investing its money and energies to secure a site for a prison based on just a hunch either.

As Jay Hollis, project manager of site acquisitions for CCA, said the corporation doesn’t enter into agreements such as the one with the Development Authority on the outside chance that a prison looking for a site will pop up.

The investment by CCA in Bainbridge will pay off for Bainbridge and Decatur County in the long run.

Hollis said the 300 to 500 jobs anticipated for the prison—which may have a payroll of $13 million to $15 million—are diverse. Twenty-five percent of the workers must have college degrees or advanced degrees, and Hollis said typically at least 75 percent of the employees at a new prison are hired locally. Hollis said the company’s benefit package is very competitive as well.

As illustrated this week with the closing of Propex, we prefer to take our chances on a good, solid company like CCA and its ability to beat the odds.