me cannot be achieved. Even a more moderate task (one that was included in the CDC's five-year plan) of building sufficient capacity to maintain the current 182 percent overcrowding level would be extremely difficult. This would require construction of prisons designed to house 33,000 inmates about 15 prisons at a cost of around $4.5 billion. (In comparison, over the last 13 years, the CDC has designed and constructed prison space for 43,000 inmates the largest prison construction program ever undertaken in the United States.) The process of selecting a suitable and acceptable site, performing the environmental review, completing design and construction of the facilities, and then activating a single prison for occupancy can take four years. Accomplishing these tasks within four years for 15 prisons would be an unprecedented challenge. Furthermore, within the four-year time period, the department would need to hire and train over 15,000 new staff for these prisons. In September 1994, the CDC reported that environmental impact reports were either completed or in process for four prison sites. The department also indicated that several other communities have expressed interest in having prisons. Based on the state's experience to date, however, it is unlikely that additional prisons, beyond those already authorized, can be completed before 1999. CDC Construction PlansIn the five-year facilities plan, the CDC proposed the immediate appropriation of about $1.7 billion to develop six new prisons with almost 14,000 beds. In addition, the CDC identified the need for $214 million to: (1) prepare site studies, environmental reviews, and design drawings for another nine prisons ($179 million) and (2) provide emergency overcrowding modifications at existing prisons ($35 million). According to the CDC, such modifications could include triple bunking in some currently double-bunked areas and adding housing in some non-housing facilities (such as gym...
