Two privately run prisons in Kern County are being shut down.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation made the announcement Monday afternoon.
The CDCR says a significant drop in the low-security inmate population prompted the move.
Prison officials have given the facilities a 60-day notice that they will be shut down.
One of them is the Mesa Verde Correctional Facility in Bakersfield.
The other is the Mcfarland Community Correctional Facility.
They provide about 600 low-custody beds.
The CDC says closing the three facilities will save the department nearly $15 million annually.
