Posted: Jan 10, 2012 11:05 AM EST Updated: Jan 17, 2012 11:05 AM EST By Kevin Howell, Assistant News Director l
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CHARLESTON,WV - A pair of legislative committees endorsed the idea of a new state prison Tuesday in Charleston.
Now, the West Virginia legislature will decide whether to call for a new 1,200-cell, medium-security prison.
The House and Senate Judiciary committees votes, which were not unanimous, follow the release of a special commission study of inmate overcrowding.
Because West Virginia state prisons are full, more than 2,100 convicted felons are housed in regional jails rather than prisons. That leaves regional jails with more inmates than they were designed to hold.
The Legislature's regular 60-day session begins Wednesday.