Thursday, January 8, 2009                  Contact: John Dipko (608) 240-5060

For Immediate Release                                      Rachel Krueger (608) 240-5011

 

Ten-Year Facility Development Plan for Corrections Now Complete and Under Review

DOC Secretary Raemisch Cites Need for Ways to Curtail Projected Population Growth

 MADISON – The new State of Wisconsin Ten Year Correctional Facility System Development Plan, a document prepared to assess the state’s prison system and provide recommendations for future development, has been completed and is now under the review by the Department of Corrections (DOC).

“I would like to thank the consultants and DOC staff for their work on completing this assessment of our system, and for their recommendations on ways to manage forecasted increases in our prison population,” Secretary Rick Raemisch said. “The plan reaffirms that unless something changes, the demand for prison space will continue to grow over the next decade, bringing with it a high price tag for new prison space. Given the massive deficit Wisconsin is facing, the plan provides a blueprint of where we don’t want to be in 10 years.”

Creation of the facility development plan was authorized by the state Building Commission in 2006 and completed by the consulting firm Mead & Hunt Inc. The plan recommends more than $1.2 billion in facility renovations and new construction to be enumerated within 10 years, covering the construction of 8,920 new beds and 2,681 replacement beds for both juvenile and adult facilities.

The DOC independently forecasts the need for 4,670 new beds to be online by 2021. While corresponding costs for these increases are not available, the DOC estimates that the construction of a 2,000-inmate, medium-security prison would surpass $160 million, not including land and operating costs.

Secretary Raemisch said the forecasted numbers will assist the DOC in considering future development projects, particularly as it works with a new study committee to identify new policies that hold offenders accountable and maintain public safety without necessarily requiring major prison expansions.

“We look forward to working with the Legislature and state Court System on the Special Committee on Justice Reinvestment Initiative Oversight, which has been formed to develop strategies to curtail corrections spending and enhance public safety at the same time,” Secretary Raemisch said. “Expanding capacity is not the only solution; we need to identify options that go beyond bricks and mortar.”

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 A copy of the plan can be accessed at 10YearPlan.htm.

1/8/2009