MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Department of Corrections is looking for developers interested in building three men's prisons that the state would then lease from private owners.
News outlets report responses for the DOC's request for expressions of interest are due Wednesday. The DOC says leasing the prisons may cost about $78 million annually. The prisons would each hold more than 3,000 inmates; the most populated Alabama prison held less than 2,100 inmates in December.
A recent U.S. Department of Justice report on Alabama men's prisons detailed horrific conditions including rape and extortion. It said it was reasonable to believe the conditions violate the U.S. Constitution.
The DOC says construction may cost about $900 million. Democratic Rep. Christopher England on Tuesday said the proposal effectively bypasses the legislature, which allocates agency money.