With a burgeoning number of Colorado women going to prison, the state is asking private companies to submit bids for a new women’s prison that will house up to 750 inmates, state officials say.
The company with the winning bid will build the prison and then be paid for each inmate, said Dave Schouweiler, purchasing agent for the Department of Corrections.
The number of women in Colorado prisons more than doubled from 768 in 1998 to 1,560 in 2004, according to department statistics.
Two Colorado prisons for women, in Denver and Cañon City, are already at capacity, and one in Pueblo is near capacity, Schouweiler said.
The state prefers that the prison be built along Interstate 25. The deadline for initial bids is in April.
The state has also sought bids to build a 2,250-bed medium-security facility for men.
The woman’s prison would need to have programming for inmates nearing completion of their sentences, including substance- abuse and life-skills classes.
There are four private men’s prisons in Colorado. Private prisons have come under scrutiny after a riot at a facility in Olney Springs in 2004.
According to state forecasts, the total prison population of 20,000 will increase by up to 7,000 in five years.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
