North Georgia sheriffs say they’ve been assured that the closing of four state prisons isn’t going to cause backlogs of state inmates in county jails.
The Georgia Department of Corrections estimates savings of more than $35 million a year from closing the state’s oldest and most costly prisons in Milledgeville, Mount Vernon and two in Hardwick, Ga.
“Just because we are closing these facilities doesn’t mean we are losing capacity,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Division Director Michael Nail. “We pick up the bed space in other ways.”
CLOSING PRISONS SAVES MONEY* Scott State Prison, Hardwick: $10.1 million a year* Bostick State Prison, Milledgeville: $9.8 million* Montgomery State Prison, Mount Vernon: $5.5 million* Men’s State Prison, Hardwick: $10 millionSource: Georgia Department of Corrections
Bostick State Prison in Milledgeville will close in May, saving $6.7 million annually in direct operational costs, Mr. Nail said.