State to Take Over County Land for Lancaster Prison

Despite the objections of Los Angeles County and city of Lancaster representatives, the state Department of Corrections received the go-ahead Thursday to acquire 285 acres of county land for a proposed state prison in Lancaster.

The decision enables the state to use eminent domain to acquire the site in the Mira Loma area of Lancaster. County officials have opposed the acquisition because they say they need the land for expansion of existing law enforcement and health facilities.

County Supervisor Mike Antonovich said in a prepared statement: “The county will take all necessary steps to prevent the state’s land grab of county property that is desperately needed for community purposes.”

Deputy County Counsel Stephen Zehner said he did not know whether county lawyers will file a separate injunction aimed at blocking the acquisition or pursue the issue at an August hearing on lawsuits filed against the proposed prison by the city of Lancaster and the county.

Corrections officials said they expect the acquisition to be completed in time to begin scheduled construction of the medium- and maximum-security, 2,200-bed prison in August. The process will involve a court filing by the state to purchase the land at a fair market value of about $6.7 million, said Barbara Lemus, manager of the construction project. The decision was made by the state Public Works Board.

The governor has argued that the Lancaster prison and a proposed companion facility in East Los Angeles are needed because the county produces 40% of the state’s inmates.

Although the decision was not unexpected, prison opponents testifying at the Public Works Board hearing included lawyers for the city and county, members of a Lancaster anti-prison citizens committee and Assemblyman Phillip Wyman (R-Tehachapi).

Danielle Lewis, head of the committee, said after the hearing that the state should refrain from moving forward with acquisition and construction until the legal fight is resolved.

Lewis and other opponents were bolstered by a move last week in the Assembly to eliminate $315 million for the two prisons from this year’s state budget.

But corrections officials said they are required by law to move forward with the prison project as quickly as possible. They said they expect the governor to fight hard for reinstatement of the prison funds.

“We are proceeding as if the funding will be available,” corrections department spokeswoman Christine May said.