“They’re trying to build a prison They’re trying to build a prison For you and me to live in Another prison system Another prison system For you and me.”
—The Prison Song by System of a Down (2001) To the surprise of none and the consternation of many, me included, a new report says that before 2030, Nebraska will need another 1,500 prison beds, even after building a $350-million, 1,500-bed replacement for the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln.
We have been expecting the Facility Master Plan for the Nebraska Department of Corrections to side with the staunch law and order advocates who think it best to just “lock ‘em up.” The ringer is the report says after the new prison is open, the state will be short about 1,300 prison beds, given the expected growth in state inmates.
