Often referred to as Youngstown's private prison, the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center on Hubbard Road and the 440 people who work there got some bad news on Monday.


The prison, which currently holds 2,100 prisoners, lost a contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to house federal inmates.


NEOCC parent company, the Corrections Corporation of America, lost out in a competition with facilities operated by the GEO Group in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania and Hinton, Oklahoma.


The future is unknown for the 400 plus employees at CCA. Corporate officials told Youngstown Mayor John McNally that the current contract to house the 600 federal detainees expires at the end of May.


A statement issued by CCA Senior Director of Public Affairs, Steve Owen, the company will actively market the facility to provide solutions for new government partners.


Officials of the private prison say they may attempt to land a state, or another federal contract to take in prisoners. They may also try to see if the Hubbard Road facility can house the overflow from other area lockups.


Meanwhile, the CEO of CCA will ask the Bureau of Prisons to hold a debriefing this weekend to find out why they lost the contract.


Local elected officials and community leaders have been lobbying federal officials to keep the prison here.


Congressman Tim Ryan, who was part of the lobbying effort, issued a statement expressing disappointment.


“We worked closely with CCA throughout this entire process and while I know we did all we could to help, it is of little consolation to the 400 plus men and women who work at the facility, and the City which benefits from the prison's economic impact.” said Ryan.


Ryan said he will do everything in his power to ensure that the employees to continue their jobs in the federal prison system. Ryan's statement did not specify how he could help those workers, who are not employees of the federal government.


Supporters of the prison say that since 2005, the direct local economic impact from the NEOCC has exceeded $180 million.


The prison has an annual payroll of $20 million and generates more than $1.9 million in annual property taxes, $1.3 million that benefits Youngstown City Schools.


The Hubbard Road facility was in the news this past August after inmates staged a peaceful protest over unresolved grievances.


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