ALLOUEZ, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – There won’t be money to replace Green Bay Correctional Institution in Governor Tony Evers’ budget proposal next week.
However, the Republican lawmaker leading the effort to build a new prison isn’t giving up hope money will be set aside for the plan.
Evers concedes the 121-year-old prison needs to be addressed but says decisions need to be made outside the budget process.
“It’s something we have to weigh, but it will not be part of our budget request,” said Evers.
Former Governor Scott Walker didn’t include it in his final budget proposal either, despite a plea from fellow Republican lawmaker, State Rep. David Steffen.
But the Howard Republican tells FOX 11…
“Let’s be clear, GBCI is the most dangerous place in the state of Wisconsin. It needs to be replaced.”
Steffen says that was stated clearly in a 2009 study. He believes a new $600,000 study will say the same thing, but the release of the study’s findings keeps being delayed.
“The data is too clear that it’s time to close GBCI. It is too unsafe, too expensive and too wrong for the inmates and workers.”
Steffen says his plan for a privately built, state-run prison, yet to have a location, would save taxpayers $150 million over 10 years. It would also free up GBCI’s land in Allouez for $80 million in economic development.
“Clearly, we have a facility there that is going to be difficult to continue to use because of its age and inadequacy, but at the same time, we’re looking at criminal justice reform where there might actually be fewer people in prison,” said Evers.
Steffen says he hopes this isn’t a case of partisan politics with a Democratic governor not including a Republican legislator’s plan. He says there have been signs of support from Democratic lawmakers representing this area.
“I think once the governor sees that this is not something that is just a Republican only thing, that he may have some more openness to it.”
Steffen plans to introduce an amendment when the legislature puts together its own budget proposal. He says that study of the state’s prison facilities should be ready before that amendment is considered.
There is pressure on Evers to come up with a solution for Wisconsin’s overcrowded adult prisons. As of last week, there were nearly 24,000 inmates in the system that was designed to hold about 18,000. That is 32 percent over capacity.
Lawmakers, economic development officials and other leaders in the Green Bay area have been pushing for closing the century-old Green Bay Correctional Institution in Allouez and replacing it with a new prison as part of a larger redevelopment project.
