Corrections Boss Exploring Options That Could Include New PrisonPosted by John AxtellDate: February 20, 20203 ViewsLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska Dept of Correctional Services director Scott Frakes says he will soon issue an RFI – request for information – to help identify possible options in reducing overcrowding in the state’s prisons.Frakes says the focus will be on medium to maximum custody options in a location that has the population to support required staffing, but admits he doesn’t have any cost projections for any of the options.A report by the JFA Institute projects the male prison population in Nebraska will increase at an average rate of 2.5% each year over the next decade with the female population going up 2% a year.Frakes says the RFI will allow for exploration of public-private partnerships that could provide benefits to the state, including accelerated construction timelines and long-term lease-purchase agreements.Build-lease partnerships have been explored and used by other states as a way to cover immediate construction costs and spread the payments over time.