Kentucky reopens former private prison closed after scandal

WHEELWRIGHT, Ky. (AP) – The Kentucky Department of Corrections has officially reopened a prison in Floyd County that last held inmates in 2012.

Gov. Andy Besehar announced the reopening on Friday of the former Otter Creek Correctional Center.

The prison was previously run by Tennessee-based CoreCivic.

It closed after female inmates accused staff of forcing them to trade sex for privileges.

It has reopened as Southeast State Correctional Complex and is now run by the Department of Corrections.

CoreCivic still owns the facility, and the state is leasing it from the company.

Beshear announced the plan to reopen the prison earlier this year to ease overcrowding in jails.