Neighbors Object to Planned Halfway House

OXNARD —  Until neighbors recently got wind of it, dozens of convicts were set to begin living in a large building on D Street as early as Friday.

But now, plans for Ventura County’s first state-authorized halfway house are on hold while its operator and the city of Oxnard resolve a disagreement over permits.

A group of Oxnard residents objects that a public hearing was never held on the 40-bed residential facility and argues that the building was only approved to house recovering substance abusers, not prison inmates.

Cornell Corrections of Houston holds a 4 1/2-year, $3-million contract to run the home for the state Department of Corrections and has agreed to postpone the facility’s opening until at least Tuesday.

But Cornell said it intends to forge ahead soon after that, maintaining it followed every procedure necessary to earn approval from the city.

Mark Thompson, managing director of Cornell’s Ventura-based pre-release division, said, “We have done everything the city has asked us to do. We’ve filled out every form. We’ve complied. It’s a little late in the game for them to turn around and say ‘I didn’t know about it so you can’t do it.’ ”

Certain inmates--among them violent criminals, sex offenders and those who belonged to gangs in prison--are excluded from participating in the voluntary work-furlough program, Thompson said.

He plans to meet with Oxnard City Manager Ed Sotello today and expects the City Council to discuss the project at its Tuesday meeting.