From the Tribune staff reports
HUNTSVILLE — Governor Kay Ivey is set to sign paperwork Monday to move forward with the plan to build three new mega prisons in Alabama.
Ivey spokeswoman Gina Maiola said the governor will sign agreements to lease two new men’s correctional facilities to be constructed by CoreCivic, one of the nations largest private prison companies. The governor’s office has said the prisons would be run by the state but the buildings would be leased from the companies.
Ivey will sign agreements on Monday to lease two men’s correctional facilities in Elmore and Escambia Counties. The state plan is to close other prisons in order to pay for the new ones.
“We are anticipating her to put pen to paper, and as soon as she does, we will be releasing more details. We hoped it would have been sooner, but we are working as quickly as possible to get the best possible deal for the state,” Maiola said.
The Alabama legislature goes back into session on Tuesday, the day after Governor Ivey signs two of three deals. According to WBRC News, state auditor Jim Zeigler says the state would lease the prisons, paying $88 million dollars a year for 30 years which is more than $2.6 billion dollars.
According to a Facebook post, Zeigler says he and 13 citizen groups have called for an independent audit of the Department of Corrections, which would run the three prisons.