El Paso News spoke to employees working at the La Tuna prison after a family member of an employee reached out to us to let us know that prison employees are concerned about their future job prospects. El Paso News connected with some employees who asked that we keep their names confidential because they feared retaliation from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for speaking out about their fears. We also spoke to family members of the employees.
Here is what we learned.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons issued a press release announcing the closure of six prisons, including La Tuna and its satellite prison camp. In addition to La Tuna, the BOP is also closing prisons in Beaumont, Big Spring, Lexington, Petersburg and Taft. Employees at Beaumont, Lexington and Petersburg will be transferred to other units “for continued employment,” according to the press release announcing the closures.
“A reduction-in-force” will affect the other prisons, including La Tuna, the missive explained.
A “reduction-in-force” is the formal term that the federal government uses for layoffs. Basically, the BOP is stating that employees at La Tuna will be effectively terminated once the facility is shuttered. The reason for the closures, according to the press release is “to address decades of deferred maintenance and extreme staffing challenges.”
BOP Director, William K. Marshall said in the press release that closing the facilities is “necessary to address longstanding infrastructure and staffing challenges while ensuring the Bureau remains focused on its core mission of operating safe, secure, and efficient correctional facilities.” He added that the BOP “will support our workforce throughout this transition and responsibly position the agency for the future.”
However, Marshall has not committed to ensuring employees of La Tuna will be allowed to transfer to other BOP facilities.
Currently, La Tuna is home to 712 inmates, 551 housed at the main prison facility and 161 inmates at the satellite camp.
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It is unclear how many employees remain at La Tuna, but we were told that as many as 100 employees are affected by the closure. In a 2021 staffing report, BOP reported that La Tuna had a 7.2 “inmate-to-correctional officer ratio” at La Tuna. The 2021 report stated that 53 correctional officers were assigned during the morning weekday shift and another 54 were assigned during the day and evening watches. More officers were reported for the weekend day and evening watches.
La Tuna historically averaged between 1,000 and 1,200 inmates before 2023. In 2023, the prison population at the Anthony facility began to trend down to around 800 inmates. In its correctional officer to inmate ration report for 2024, the BOP reported a 5.9 ratio for La Tuna, down from the 7.2 in 2021.
Together with the ratio analysis and what we were told, we estimate that around 100 local employees will be laid off when La Tuna closes. The estimate is based on the requirement to have 5 full-time employees to cover one post per week.
The BOP does not release the number of staff it keeps at its prisons for security purposes but generally it staffs one correctional officer per 10 to 20 prisoners depending on the security level of the prison.
Employees Concerned About Future Jobs and Lost Retirement Benefits
The people we spoke to told us that La Tuna will close in March 2027, but that inmates will be sent to other prisons by January. Many of the employees expressed that “we don’t want to get blacked balled and lose any chance of moving out” by speaking to us.
One of the larger concerns comes from employees who are one year shy of retiring. As one family member said, my husband is “going to get screwed out of retirement” if they don’t get hired by another BOP facility or another federal agency. They expressed hope that BOP would consider waving their last months so that they can qualify for their benefits.
Already the BOP facility in Tucson has told La Tuna employees that they will not by hiring them.
In a statement, shortly after BOP press release, El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar stated that the “decision by the Bureau of Prisons to close La Tuna was done without notifying my office.”
Escobar added that she was “very concerned about all of the federal employees that have already sacrificed and endured so much whose livelihood has been taken away.”
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), sent a letter to Congress yesterday urging them “to oppose the Bureau’s decision” to close the prisons, including La Tuna. In the letter, Kelley wrote that BOP “cites staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure as the reasons” for closing the prisons, but Kelley pointed out in his letter that “Congress has already provided approximately $3 billion for personnel and $2 billion” for the facilities.
Kelley urged Congress to exercise “its oversight authority and require the Bureau to suspend” the planned closures of the prisons.
Notable La Tuna Prisoners
There have been several local politicians jailed at La Tuna over the years, including former county commissioner Willie Gandara who served time for drug trafficking while he was running for state representative. Gandara’s father was also sentenced to La Tuna on bribery charges. He was joined by Sal Mena, the former school district trustee who was also convicted of corruption.
Another former city representative and county commissioner also served time at La Tuna for public corruption in the early 2000s. Controversial politician Larry Medina, who announced he was running for county judge because he was an “honest” politician.
La Tuna also housed infamous Medellín cartel figure, George Jung who was featured in the movie Blow. Several Mafia figures were also incarcerated at La Tuna. They included boss of the Philadelphia crime family, Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo, Joe Valachi, Jimmy “The Weasel” Fratianno, under boss of Los Angeles crime family, and FBI informant Vincent “Fat Vinnie” Teresa.
The father of the 2017 Las Vegas shooter, Benjamin Hoskins Paddock escaped La Tuna in 1968. He was serving time for bank robbery. His son, Stephen Paddock, opened fire at the Las Vegas Strip in 2017 killing 60 and injuring 867 others.
Some of the people we spoke with, who offered firsthand knowledge of the layoffs, promised to keep us informed as to what is happening. We will be following up with additional details as they become available.
La Tuna Prison picture, courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, website.