Corrections Boss Exploring Options That Could Include New Prison

LINCOLN, 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.