On Dec. 6, the State of California and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced the closing and "deactivation" of several prisons across California, two impacting the Tehachapi area. The CDCR announced the closing of Facility D at Tehachapi's California Correctional Institution (CCI) and the "exiting of a lease" for the California City Correctional Facility.

"We are in communication with our local state elected officials and are trying to determine what the impact will be to our community, most importantly the jobs of Tehachapi residents who staff both facilities," said Greg Garrett, Tehachapi City Manager. "The prisons are an economic driver for both communities where the prisons are located. We know there will be both short term and long-term harm to the region due to these decisions made in Sacramento."

We believe CCI Facility D houses approximately 800 inmates presently. The exact number of staff impacted has yet to be determined.

The CDCR stated in its announcement that there will be local community and workforce support with an "economic resiliency plan and workers will be offered transfers to nearby facilities." We don't have any further information on what "local support or an economic resiliency plan" entails at this point.

This is another example of takeaways at the state level that impact local communities and the local government. We are very thankful the citizens of Tehachapi recently voted in favor of Measure S, mandating local tax dollars stay local and out of the state's coffers.