ALLOUEZ — Gov. Tony Evers is asking for $15 million to start a massive overhaul of Wisconsin's prison system, including the closure of the Green Bay Correctional Institution.
Watch Kyle Langellier's full broadcast story here:
The governor wants the State Building Commission to release money that has already been set aside in the state budget for planning and design work on the half-billion dollar plan, which was proposed in February.
"We've been waiting for probably too long," said District 30 State Sen. Jamie Wall. "The prison system now is overcrowded. There's been other states that have improved public safety and saved the taxpayers dollars that we haven't been able to do here."
So far, the proposal has received bipartisan support.
"There certainly is a bipartisan agreement that something is long overdue to be done," said District 1 Sen. Andre Jacque.
Jacque says shutting down GBCI cannot come quick enough.
"We're past the tipping point for GBCI," Jacque said. "The steady drumbeat of serious injuries or deaths at that facility. Unless we do something quickly, it's a matter of when, not if, the next catastrophic situation happens."
The proposal would expand Stanley Correctional Center to handle 1,500 maximum security inmates, allowing Green Bay and Waupun inmates to be moved there.
"It turns out it's not that expensive to change a prison like that, it's really expensive to build a new one, though," Wall said. "So this is much better for the taxpayer."
The plan also would turn Waupun Correctional Institution into a medium security facility and close Lincoln Hills and Cooper Lake schools, converting those into 500-bed adult facilities, among other changes to facilities across the state.
"I think this should pass, and it will be a good first step down a road towards reform of the prison system and the closure of GBCI," Wall said.
The State Building Commission will take up the governor's request to release the $15 million at their next meeting on October 28.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
