The small desert town of Blythe, California, is grappling with anger and uncertainty after Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to close the Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, the community’s largest and last major employer. For a town already battling population decline and economic hardship, the prison’s closure could be the final blow. Blythe, located near the Arizona border in Riverside County, has seen its population shrink as residents seek better opportunities in Phoenix and Coachella Valley, and now faces the loss of nearly 1,000 jobs.
Local leaders have voiced outrage, arguing that the town relies on the prison for economic stability. “We know it’s going to be a ripple effect across all sectors,” interim city manager Mallory Crecelius told the Imperial Valley Press, though she admits the full impact remains uncertain. Chuckawalla’s closure eliminates 801 jobs, with more than 400 being correctional officer roles—a devastating hit for a community with limited employment options.
In a last-ditch effort to keep the prison open, town officials launched the “Save Chuck” campaign, hiring a PR firm and submitting over 40 public records requests to understand why Chuckawalla was chosen for closure. However, these requests were denied. Local leaders have suggested that an older facility, such as the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, should be closed instead, but state officials have not budged.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) defended its decision, citing “fiscal responsibility.” With the state’s prison population halved over the past decade, currently down to 96,000, officials argue that fewer facilities are needed. The CDCR says it is working to minimize the impact on Blythe and has allocated nearly $1 million for job training to help displaced employees transition to other industries. But many locals, like former correctional officer Jamie Browning, are skeptical, questioning where they’ll find equivalent-paying work without advanced degrees. “I’d have to transfer somewhere else because where am I going to get a job making that kind of money with a high school education?” Browning said.
Blythe’s economic struggles are nothing new; the town’s fortunes dwindled after the I-10 highway diverted traffic away, and its once-thriving agricultural sector has been impacted by water scarcity. Many locals fear the prison’s closure will be Blythe’s breaking point. Some have proposed long-term projects, like converting the facility into an immigration detention center or building a logistics hub, but these efforts could take years.
As Blythe faces this pivotal moment, residents are left questioning the future of their town and the lack of support from the state, hoping that solutions emerge before Blythe becomes yet another ghost town of the desert.
