Governor Tony Evers’ Administration aims to proceed with the closure of prisons in Wisconsin, including the Green Bay Correctional Institution (GBCI).
Gov. Evers is asking the State Building Commission to release $15 million from the 2025-2027 state budget to begin work across GBCI, along with Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools.
Releasing the money would enable the closure of the over 100-year-old prison and the conversion of Stanley Correctional Institution into a 1,500-bed maximum-security institution with the ability to “flex” as a medium-custody institution.
The governor explains that converting the facility would allow the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) to absorb all individuals in both GBCI and Waupun, which are currently classified as maximum-security facilities.
The Evers Administration says the plan would also propose converting Waupun Correctional into a state-of-the-art, medium-security institution and designating it as the state’s first “vocational village.”
The State Building Commission is meeting on Tuesday, October 28th, and will determine whether the $15 million will be released.
Many state lawmakers and the Village of Allouez have called for the closure of GBCI because of its age and conditions, which have led to issues with inmates.
Gov. Evers vetoed a proposal in the state budget that would have set a deadline to close the prison in 2029.
