Construction on a new state prison in Washington County is underway and, on Monday, the legislature sealed the deal on $436.7 million for the project. Now, the bill is heading to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for final approval.
According to Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran, construction on the project has been ongoing since the fall, and the facility is being built right down the road from the existing Washington State Prison in Davisboro.
The infusion of funds into the project comes in a mid-year amendment to the state's original budget for the year. The bill, House Bill 915, was sent to the governor's desk on Monday after a 52-1 vote in the state Senate.
The funds approved by the legislature are a few million short of what had originally been proposed for the project.
Before entering conference — where the Georgia Senate and House hash out any conflict between their different versions of the bill — both the Senate, House and governor proposed $450 million for the project, but the final total was reduced to $436.7 million in the version heading to the governor.
Back in October 2023, the Georgia Department of Correction confirmed to 13WMAZ that they were building a new facility in Washington County. A resolution from the Georgia Board of Corrections approved the project on June 1, 2023.
Back in October, the GDC was mum on what the facility would look like, saying that those details had yet to be finalized.
However, the House Budget Office offered a glimpse at what the project's final state will look like.
"Designed with both correctional officer and inmate safety in mind, the new facility features a separate staff mezzanine for access and observation, precast cells, and rear pipe chases to prevent the introduction of contraband and weapons," according to highlights from the House Budget Office.
The Department of Correction says the site was chosen because the state already had land in Washington County that could be used for the project.
Since the GDC already has a facility in the county, the GDC also says it simplifies the process of getting the facility up and running due to its "already established GDC workforce," the Department of Corrections said.
When construction is complete, they say the new facility will essentially replace Washington State Prison, which was opened back in 1991. Because of that, it is unclear how many new jobs the facility would create.
The legislature also approved millions in additional funding for the Department of Corrections, including $135.38 million for facility maintenance and repairs across the state.