Metro State Prison Closing to save money

ATLANTA -- The head of the state's Department of Corrections told Georgia lawmakers that it is closing Metro State Prison this spring to save more than $19 million heading into another tough budget year.

Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens spoke to a joint legislative appropriations committee on Wednesday as one of several agency heads addressing the group this week as it weighs an $18.2 billion budget proposal submitted by newly elected Gov. Nathan Deal. Deal has told state agencies to slash an average of 7 percent from their already thin budgets.

Metro State Prison in DeKalb County will close in April. The maximum-security women's prison has about 700 beds. Inmates will be moved to other state facilities.

"The prison population's beginning to flatten out," Owens said. "We don't have nearly as many females coming to the prison system as we did two or three years ago. That's because of 13 day report centers where these people can get treatment. So we're able to give back almost $20 million to taxpayers because of alteative sentencing options."

No other prison closures are scheduled for this year. Owens said he is hopeful more day report centers can be opened with funds from the budget when the economy improves.

Among the other departments testifying on Wednesday were juvenile justice, public safety, natural resources and economic development.