Baldwin Prison to Reopen

Geo/ICE to finalize long term contract for federal immigartion processing

The GEO group announced on Thursday that they would be reopening the Baldwin Prison after entering into  a contract with the U.S, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate the 1800 bed facility as a federal immigration processing center effective immediately. According to their press release a long term contract will be finalized in the next few months to provide support services for ICE.

The facility has had an up and down history creating jobs in the Lake County region when open and laying off hundreds due to the closures. In 2019 the prison reopened after a 2 year hiatus to house non-citizens criminals. It was closed in 2022 under the Biden administration when all contracts with private for-profit prisons were ended. It was also shut down in 2017 after a 2 year contract with the state of Vermont to house their prisoners was not renewed.The facility was built in 1998 by Wackenhut Corrections Corp. as a prison for juvenile offenders. It was previously owned and operated by the state, but was closed in 2005 as a cost-cutting measure.
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We contacted Michigan Works West Central Executive Director Shelly Keene about hiring for the facility’s reopening.
“Michigan Works! West Central is committed to helping the North Lake Correction Facility reopen under this new federal contract. Our team has made initial contact with the GEO Group and expect to become more involved with the organization as their timeline to reopen is finalized. This project is still in the early stages, but my team is ready to assist in any way we can to help fill the variety of positions that will be available at the facility.”

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