One of Seward's top employers, possibly the top employer, is one you never see unless you work or have business there. Spring Creek Correctional Center is nestled in the mountains at Fourth of July subdivision, just north of Seward Marine Industrial Center. The state prison facility is out of sight, out of mind, and for security reasons, its administrators like it to remain that way.
Nevertheless, 200 people, including 140 corrections officers, have full-time employment at Spring Creek. Of the 140 guards, 79 currently live in Seward or Moose Pass area, and 61 commute to homes and families in outlying areas (especially Anchorage) when they're not on duty. Other jobs at the prison include medical personnel, cooks, teachers, secretaries, maintenance workers, probation officers, administrators, and more.
While tourism provides plenty of part-time late spring and summer employment, the prison's overall economic benefit to the area, with its steady workforce, is considerable.
"As for the economic impact of having a state prison, I can say that they are generally well-paid, stable, year-round jobs," says Alaska Department of Labor economist Alyssa Shanks. "These kinds of jobs benefit an area or region with their stability and their wages." Hourly wages for correctional officer supervisors and managers in Alaska average about $36 an hour; correctional officers and jailers receive $24 an hour; and correctional treatment specialists get $23.8 an hour, according to DOL figures. State workers also receive benefits packages.
The prison workforce stability means that other businesses can move in and count on the steady employment at Spring Creek to keep people in the area who will shop in their stores or use their services, Shanks says. "The fact that these tend to be well-paid jobs means that people employed at these facilities would likely have more disposable income to spend on goods and services," she adds. "A facility like this gives and economy something to build on."
"It's been a good relationship for many years, beneficial to the State of Alaska and the City of Seward," said Seward City Manager Phillip Oates. The prison gets all of its electricity, water, and sewer services from the city.
"We're like a city within a city," said Superintendent Craig Turnbull, speaking from his second floor office whose window looks down over a large gleaming gymnasium, barber shop, law library, hobby shop, weight room, chapel, classrooms and other facilities, such as the weight room shown in the photo. Maintaining all of the prison buildings, housing and feeding 550 inmates 24/7, and attending to their needs for health care, education, skills training, costs plenty. As inmates age, along with the rest of America's Baby Boom generation, prison costs also increase for health care and transportation to outside hospitals, Turnbull says. The oldest inmate is 86. But of all prison costs, the cost of heating fuel has become their "biggest killer," according to Turnbull. The prison has a heating oil contract with Shoreside Petroleum, which cost the state prison system half a million dollars last year, he said.
Turnover for guards remains high at Spring Creek, as junior corrections officers learn to perform their skills in Seward before moving on to jobs in other state prisons that better fit their budget needs, or their ability to live with family. The unfortunate reality is that even with comparatively high salaries, many corrections officers cannot find homes or rentals that they can afford in Seward, and their spouses often can't find jobs in their fields, Turnbull explained. On the positive side, with the economic downturn, there are rarely any position vacancies that don't get quickly filled with new people, Turnbull said.
Heidi Zemach is a writer for SewardCityNews.com, where this article originally appeared.