OK SOUGHT FOR INMATE FACILITY.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

A Houston company will present its plans for a 500-bed correctional facility at a meeting tonight of California City's Planning Commission.

Cornell Corrections will ask the Planning Commission to approve in concept its proposal to the state Corrections Department to build a $10 million to $14 million facility on the north side of the city. The facility would house minimum- and medium-security inmates serving sentences of up to 18 months.

The company is interested in the city because its leaders have lobbied state officials to build a prison there, and because of a state requirement that such facilities be built within 100 miles of existing state prisons. The facility would lie within 100 miles of state prisons in Lancaster and Tehachapi.

"California City is No. 2 on the state's list to receive an institution," said Laura Shol, Cornell Corrections regional administrator. "California City is accepting of a prison."

In December, the City Council gave city officials approval to work with Behavioral Systems Southwest, a San Clemente company, on a similar proposal. That company has pulled out of the state bidding competition, citing a lack of expertise, said City Manager Steve West.

The state Corrections Department will take bids in March for what it calls the community corrections facilities. State officials plan to issue at least four contracts in May or June. The facilities could be running by summer 1997.

California City officials are interested in the proposal because it would mean 100 to 120 jobs for the community of about 10,000 people.

Cornell Corrections runs a 200-inmate facility for women in Live Oak, a community north of Sacramento, and a 280-inmate facility for men in Baker. The company also runs a similar facility in Rhode Island.