Governor Receives Prison Crowding
Notice from Correctional Services
(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman has decided against declaring a correctional system overcrowding emergency. The Governor recently received formal notice from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (Corrections) that state prisons had crossed the statutory marker of 140 percent of design capacity for inmates.
"I continue to monitor the population of Nebraska's prisons with a critical eye on the safety and well-being of staff, as well as inmates," Gov. Heineman said. "Until our director informs me that we have an immediate concern, we will continue operating in a manner consistent with our procedures. However, this is another reminder of the pressing need for progress on the Community Corrections front."
Nebraska Revised Statute Section 83-962 requires Corrections to certify when its prison population eclipses 140 percent of system-wide design capacity. Corrections Director Bob Houston notified the Governor on Friday, June 16.
"The Legislature has granted me the discretion to decide whether or not to declare a correctional system overcrowding emergency," Gov. Heineman wrote to Sen. Pat Engel of South Sioux City, Chairman of the Legislature's Executive Board. "The director advises me that the correctional institutions continue to operate safely ... and as a result, I have determined not to declare a correctional system overcrowding emergency."
