LINCOLN — Nebraska prison officials are moving forward with planning for two construction projects, as well as an update of the agency’s master plan. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services recently advertised for bids from consultants to guide construction of a 96-bed expansion at the Lincoln Correctional Center/Diagnostic Evaluation Center campus, according to a press release. The beds will be designated for mental health, older incarcerated individuals or other special-needs populations. Construction is already underway on a connection between the LCC and DEC that will add nearly 450 beds.

The department has also issued a request for proposals for the siting and design work of a proposed 1,512-bed prison to replace the aging Nebraska State Penitentiary. The new prison, expected to cost $230 million, was proposed by Gov. Pete Ricketts last year, but state lawmakers opted to study the need for a new prison before giving a final OK to the new facility, which would be one of the most expensive construction projects in state history.

Nebraska’s prison system has struggled with overcrowding for more than a decade and at one point held 2,100 more inmates than the design capacity of its 10 prisons. Legislators did allocate $14.7 million to start designing and planning the proposed facility.

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