Ground broken for new Leavenworth prison

[unhappycamper]

Ground broken for new Leavenworth prison
By John Milburn - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 18, 2008 6:39:19 EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. — Military officials have broken ground on a new prison complex at Fort Leavenworth, consolidating corrections operations from three other posts.

Dubbed the Midwest Joint Regional Corrections Facility, the $150 million prison will have space for about 500 minimum- and medium-security inmates from all branches of the military.

The prison will be built on 40 acres near the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, which is the military’s maximum-security prison, housing inmates from all branches of service. Ground was broken on the new prison Monday. It is scheduled to be operational by the fall of 2010.

Brig. Gen. Rodney L. Johnson, Army Provost Marshal General, said that the new prison made sense economically.

“We are moving toward a joint corrections system and this (USDB) is the premier Department of Defense facility so it made sense to put another one here,” Johnson said. “This (USDB) is our flagship for corrections.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_leavenworth_061708/