Plans to build new federal prison in Leavenworth

Last week federal officials announced plans for a new federal prison in Leavenworth which could replace the U.S. Penitentiary.

The penitentiary has been in Leavenworth for over 100 years and is one of the oldest in the country, currently housing around 1,500 inmates.

Earlier this summer in June, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) announced that full funding had been appropriated for a new federal prison in Leavenworth.

The community’s partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons will continue with the construction of new prison, Moran said. Federal officials have put forward more than $350 million toward construction.

Moran said construction of the new facility means existing jobs at the U.S. Penitentiary will continue and that he plans to talk with officials about a future use for the current prison, which has yet to be decided.

Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal said officials within the bureau want to do something with the old prison but are unsure what that may be.

Don Hudson, warden of the U.S. Penitentiary of Leavenworth, said that despite being well-built, the prison’s infrastructure is experiencing problems that he believes would cost more to fix than to just build a new facility.

Before construction can begin, however, an environmental impact study needs to be completed and is currently being conducted by the Bureau of Prisons, a process which can take about a year, according to Robert Nardi, a consultant for the bureau.

Following the environmental impact study and if approved, construction for the new prison is expected to take around four years to complete.