Older than Alcatraz, GBCI has been discussed by many during this session’s budget discussions. Gov. Evers included its closure in his budget proposal. Speaker Robin Vos said the time to replace the facility is now. And, local leaders like Jim Rafter (President, Village of Allouez), Sen. Jamie Wall, and Rep. David Steffen have been regularly highlighting the dangers within the prison.
There are many safety and economic concerns as follows:
1. The building is housing hundreds more inmates than it was built to accommodate. Prison guards and inmates are at risk with this situation.
2. The current facility is inefficient to run due to its age, which is costing Wisconsin about an additional $1 million per month than a new facility.
3. Even if repairs were made (which had been estimated to be about $200 million), GBCI would “still be a facility that is functionally and operationally inefficient and inconsistent with modern prison design,” according to a report from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
4. The costs of upgrading GBCI or building a new prison will only increase the longer we wait.
5. A number of options have been suggested for relocating the inmates. It is time for the state to develop a system-wide plan for Wisconsin’s prison system.
6. The closure presents an opportunity for economic development. The land area could be used by local businesses to generate an estimated $150 million in economic output – taking the space from a drain on the taxpayers to a positive contribution..
Both Governor Evers and the legislature owe it to the taxpayers to solve this long-time, bad situation.
