MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – State lawmakers on the Assembly Committee on Corrections are holding a public hearing today on a bill that calls for closing the Green Bay Correctional Institution.
State Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, introduced the bill last month and it is co-sponsored by State Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere.
Under Steffen’s plan, a private company would build the new prison then the state would lease the building and run it.
Steffen says leasing the prison would cost about $15 million a year, compared to the $19 million a year it would cost to maintain the current facility.
Gov. Scott Walker’s two-year budget proposal includes $22.2 million for renovations to the current prison, something Steffen says could be saved under this plan.
“I am incredibly excited to see this proposal continue to gain support. I look forward to the opportunity at a public hearing to further discuss the benefits this proposal provides to my community and the entire state. As capacity and cost concerns continue to increase at the Green correctional Institution it is time we take a definitive, cost-effective approach to addressing the situation.” Steffen said in a news release Monday.
There have been several attack on correctional officers at the GBCI in the past year. The most recent attacks came this past weekend, when three correctional officers were taken to the hospital after they were attacked by an inmate.
Steffen says closing the prison and opening a new one could take five years.
At a news conference last month, the Village of Allouez said it was supportive of the bill.
