PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Green Bay area lawmakers are proposing their plan to decommission Green Bay Correctional Institution by the end of 2029.
The Joint Committee on Finance announced a proposal Tuesday supported by State Representative Benjamin Franklin (R-De Pere), State Representative David Steffen (R-Howard), and State Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) to include a decommissioning date for GBCI in the state budget.
“The Joint Committee on Finance is taking a tremendous leap toward the necessary and final closure of GBCI.” said Rep. Franklin. “Formalizing a decommissioning date into state law will ensure decisive action is taken to solve this longstanding issue and prevent the bureaucratic delays which have plagued this situation for far too long.”
The provision will be included in the state budget that will be brought before both chambers and eventually sent to the governor’s desk. Pending a partial veto, it will become official state law upon the signing of the budget.
The 126-year-old prison is the second oldest prison in Wisconsin and has been under scrutiny for over 15 years due to its deteriorating and unsafe conditions.
A 2020 study determined Green Bay Correctional is beyond repair. It is also consistently hundreds of inmates over its design capacity and the subject of criticism for having inhumane conditions, including rodents.
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