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Milledgeville Getting New Prison and Jobs
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A Middle Georgia county is getting some help following months of job losses, but their good news is bad news for another county.
In the last two years Baldwin County has lost thousands of jobs as plants have shut down and state agencies have cut back. Now the county is getting a new, privately run, 1-thousand bed prison. It's expected to employ 235 people.
But, Jenkins County which has an unemployment rate of more than 20-percent was also in the running to get the new prison. Millen Mayor, King Rocker says it's a major disappointment not to get the facility.
"We're just devastated we don't have any kind of jobs and we just felt this was a good starting point. A good place...a good way to start over."
The prison deal will become final following a comment period. The state will pay 19-million dollars a year to the GEO Group which operates prisons all over the world.
Tags: GA, Milledgeville, Millen, GA., Georgia economy, Baldwin County, GPB, private prisons, GEO Group, Mayor King Rocker