Overview
- DHS confirmed the Appleton Detention Facility began operations on Nov. 9 and local advocates and reporters say the first detainees were transferred there this week.
- The federal government bought the formerly vacant Prairie Correctional Facility from CoreCivic for about $495.6 million in August and plans to house up to 1,600 people as the site ramps to full capacity by mid‑2027.
- CoreCivic will operate the center under a multi‑year contract that the company says will bring roughly $75 million in annual revenue while the government pays fixed monthly and per‑detainee fees.
- Residents are split between hopes for hundreds of new local jobs and organized protests that highlight worries over detainee welfare, access to lawyers and the burden on rural services if people are released in the remote area.
- Advocates and rights groups point to past complaints at other CoreCivic sites about medical care and sanitation, prompting calls for stronger oversight as the new federal facility begins holding detainees.