The $10 million minimum security prison is far from luxurious with standard prison beds, shared bathroom and shower space. But it does come with various recreational options, including a HD widescreen TV.
Built in 2000, the prison facility has 54 beds and can house up to 96 inmates at a time.
And the space is only eligible to misdemeanor offenders who receive prior approval from a judge.
While the program is unusual, the Fremont Police Department said that similar “Pay to Stay” programs currently exist in Southern California cities such as Anaheim and Beverly Hills .
So, why would a prisoner pay so much money to essentially live in the same conditions they’d find in one of the other state prisons? It turns out, they’re not paying for added value, but rather what’s not there.
“The only other thing you’re really paying for is the smallness and the quietness of the facility,” Devine told WTKR.
California Governor Jerry Brown was recently tasked with finding ways to reduce the burden of the state’s overcrowded prison system.
And it could provide an economic boost for the local economy. Devine told the Sacramento Bee that if at least 16 inmates stay at the facility for two nights a week, the city would make an annual profit of about $244,000.