Wisconsin's State Building Commission has approved spending $250,000 to plan and design a $13.9 million drug abuse treatment center on Wisconsin's Winnebago Mental Health Institute campus for prison inmates.

The 300-bed treatment center would replace a 282-bed facility built 55 years ago, which hasn't received major improvements except for a new roof in 1998, and some security changes in 1999, said Bob Nickolay, the Department of Corrections budget director.

The recent study of the five-story Drug Abuse Correctional Center determined it would cost $9 million to upgrade doors, windows, and all major mechanical components in order to meet current building codes.

The 124,000-square-foot former Kempster Hall is considered space inefficient for the drug and alcohol abuse programs it has housed since 1981, and it can't readily be expanded. The proposed 85,000-square-foot building, while smaller, would make better use of space, be cheaper to operate and more conducive to program operations, Nickolay said.

The new center will have group counseling rooms, passive recreation areas for inmates and staff, kitchen, dining and health facilities, visitation, intake and discharge rooms, a library, canteen and offices.

Funding for the center was included in the 2005-07 budget. The old center will likely be torn down after the new facility is completed in May 2008. Construction is expected to begin in February 2007.

Despite being more space efficient, the new center is not likely to significantly reduce the amount of inmates discharged from prison without receiving drug or alcohol treatment, as no additions to staffing are contemplated, said Nickolay.

Inmates who complete the treatment programs at the center can earn early release from prison.