Officials propose spending $500M on Idaho prison expansion

Idaho officials are considering spending $500 million on a prison expansion and new state prison to alleviate the state’s overcrowded facilities.

Corrections officials told state Board of Correction on Monday that the need for prison expansion is great with all of Idaho’s prisons above capacity, county jails packed full and hundreds of Idaho inmates being held temporarily at a private jail in Texas.

The Idaho Press reports along with the new prison, the proposal includes smaller expansions at an array of existing facilities.

The plan would add the 2,400 new prison beds the state is predicted to need by 2020.

Half of inmates sentenced in the past year were convicted of drug offenses.