Closed prison near KC area proposed for training facility

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has proposed turning a now-closed correctional center located north of the Kansas City metro into a training ground for incoming correctional officers.

Parson’s recently unveiled budget plan includes $671,714 to convert the idled Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron into an academy where would-be prison guards can get more real-world experience before being assigned to one of the state’s 20 lock-ups, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

“The plan is to be able to train custody staff in an environment that’s similar to the environment in which they’ll be working,” said Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann.

The state has training academies in Jefferson City, St. Joseph and Farmington. Those facilities may be consolidated once the conversion is complete.

“The actual opening of the academy would be a couple of years from now,” Pojmann said.

Lawmakers are reviewing the governor’s overall $34.6 billion spending blueprint with an eye on approving the package by early May. The new training facility is one of several initiatives aimed at improving a department that has seen high turnover among its guard ranks, which are among the lowest paid in the nation.