A Green Bay lawmaker wants to replace Green Bay Correctional Institution with a privately-owned prison.
According to State Representative David Steffen (R-Green Bay), it would cost $125 million in upgrades to bring the current prison up to standards. It would also cost $20 million a year to maintain it, he said.
However, the cost of a new facility would be $15 million a year, he said.
Rep. Steffen is proposing a 1,300 bed, privately owned facility with state run employees that he believes would save taxpayers money.
A new facility would alleviate the overcrowding that Brown and Kewaunee County jails are facing, Rep. Steffen said.
"This does not solve every problem the Department of Corrections has had over the last many years, but it is one solution," he said. "And just like many other challenges we have in the state, we're trying to address them in long-term, 10 year blocks of time"
If passed, Rep. Steffen hopes to have the new facility built by November 1, 2022, he said.
The new proposed facility would be one of two in state history to be privately owned.
