W.Va. Opts Not to Pursue Out-of-State Corrections Facility

State officials have decided against housing some inmates outside the state.

In 2013, West Virginia had asked national companies to bid on sending West Virginia inmates to their out-of-state facilities in the hopes of curbing the state over crowding problem. The proposal envisioned the short-term transfer of up to 400 inmates who agreed to the move to receive educational and rehabilitative programs.

West Virginia Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein said in a news release that he thanked Corrections Corporation of America for its interest in the proposal. CCA was the sole bidder for the project, and proposed to house West Virginia inmates at its Lee Adjustment Center in Kentucky.

The release says the Justice Reinvestment Act, signed in 2013, and related steps have reduced the regional jail backlog by hundreds of inmates. Legislation enacted last year has helped to ensure access to needed programs for inmates at the jails.