COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – South Carolina is considering borrowing $45 million to build new, secure buildings at a Columbia prison to hold to nearly 200 people the state calls sexually violent predators.
The program for people who have served their sentence for rape and other sexual crimes but authorities think are still a danger to abuse others will soon be run by a private company.
The Department of Mental Health started the program in 1999 and says it has outgrown what was supposed to be temporary housing.
Since then, nearly 300 inmates have been deemed too dangerous to be released immediately, while only about 100 people have either been treated for their urges and released or died.
The Joint Bond Review Committee approved the borrowing Tuesday to build at the Broad River Correctional Intuition.
