Neighbors worried about plan for new Nebraska prison; county says it was ‘not consulted’

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The new state prison will be built just outside Lincoln, near 112th and Adams streets, but people who live nearby are raising concerns.

One of those is “its proximity to schools,” said Taylor Wyatt, who lives in a neighborhood nearby. 

Robinson Elementary School is only 2 miles from the site. 

But residents are also worried the new prison will stop development on the northeast side of Lincoln. 

“This area wants to grow; it continues to grow,” Wyatt said. “It wants to stretch out towards Omaha, towards the interstate. And time and time again, the state and the city seem to get in the way.” 

Wyatt said neighborhoods close to the site will start meeting soon to come up with a plan before construction starts.

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The Lancaster County Board said it was “not consulted” about the location of the prison and found out through press releases.

“The Lancaster County Board will continue to monitor the development of this project and its impact on our community,” it said in a statement.

Although the site is outside of Lincoln city limits, Councilman James Michael Bowers said it is within the city’s 3-mile jurisdiction.

Bowers, who represents northeast Lincoln, is exploring how the state can bypass the approval process that every other project goes through.

“I am disappointed this was pushed forward without involvement from northeast Lincoln residents,” he said.

Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys said this location was selected due to its easy access to Interstate 80 for future employees and inmates’ families.

Sen. Robert Clements, who represents the area, said a prison in a more rural location — like the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution — would be harder for workers to access.

“I think there would be objections wherever the prison was going to be,” he said. “I believe they found a location that fits the need for the new prison.”

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The new facility will replace the outdated Nebraska State Penitentiary and will have 1,500 beds. 

That’s 300 more beds than the state pen. 

But critics said the new prison will not solve the state’s overcrowding problem. Instead, they’re calling for reform of the justice system. 

“We’ve seen over the last 40 years, Nebraska has continually created new prisons through different construction projects, and the overcrowding problem is not solved,” said Grant Friedman, legal fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.  

The construction of the prison is set to begin sometime in fall 2024.