Prison Construction is Costly to Taxpayers and Residents
I. Prisons are a never-ending tax burden. Construction and operational costs of 3 new facilities would create a long-term tax burden for Texans to bear: the estimated cost to repay construction bonds would be $50-75 million annually,[i] and operating and staffing costs would add another $75 million annually.[ii] That would make the total cost of building and operating 3 new prisons amount to $250-300 million per biennium, or $1.25 billion over the next 10 years.
[i] Ward, Mike. “Dewhurst: More prison beds might be needed.” Austin-American Statesman, January 25, 2007.
[ii] Sunset Commission Decision Material: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Board of Pardons and Paroles, Correctional Managed Health Care Committee. December 2006.