La Palma Correctional Center — Eloy AZ (CoreCivic)
Overview
The La Palma Correctional Center is a 3,060-bed CoreCivic facility in Eloy, Arizona. Originally built in 2008 to house California state prisoners, it was converted to ICE use in 2019 after California eliminated out-of-state prison contracts — leaving CoreCivic seeking new populations to fill beds.
This conversion illustrates a key structural dynamic: when one revenue stream dries up, private prison companies pivot to immigration detention. The beds don’t go empty; the occupants change.
DHS OIG Findings
DHS Office of Inspector General found conditions “threatened the health, safety, and rights of detainees” and created “an environment of mistreatment and abuse.”
Chemical Agent Attack (April 2020)
During peaceful protests over COVID-19 protections:
- Staff deployed chemical agents through ceiling vents
- Used pepper spray on detainees
- Launched pepper balls at protesters
- Punished participants with extended solitary confinement
Over 700 COVID infections occurred during the pandemic — one of the largest outbreaks at any ICE facility.
Part of the Pinal County Cluster
La Palma is one of five CoreCivic facilities within 20 miles of each other along the I-10 corridor. See eloy-detention-center-pinal-az for the full cluster map.