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| New Prison on List of Proposed Corrections System Reforms |
| By statejournal.com |
| Published: 07/09/2009 |
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CHARLESTON -- With the state's incarcerated population growing in a trend that shows no sign of reversing, a special committee has recommended the state build a new 1,200-cell prison before its run out of cell space. The new prison was just one of 14 recommendations submitted June 30 by the Governor's Commission on Prison Overcrowding to Gov. Joe Manchin. However, it is one of the most visible and potentially more expensive recommendations, with cost estimates for a new prison ranging from $100 million to $200 million. Manchin formed the commission at the beginning of the year to come up with recommendations he could take to state lawmakers to relieve growing population pressures in the state's prisons and regional jails. There were roughly 6,000 incarcerated in the state's correctional system in 2007. That number is expected to grow to more than 10,000 if no changes take place. State Secretary of Military Affairs and Public Safety James Spears chaired the committee, which included representatives from the court system, government, law enforcement and West Virginia Council of Churches. While lawmakers could act on any one of the 14 recommendations, Spears said they were meant to be implemented as a whole. "It was not put so any one could be extracted or any group be extracted and then provide a solution," he said. Read more. |
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