BUSINESS: WATNED: ANOTHER NEW PRISON SITE FOR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- The Massac County town of Metropolis is expected to enter the latest round of state prison sweepstakes, and Pulaski County has expressed an interest in doing the same.

The state needs 180 acres of relatively flat land with road access suitable for electricity, natural gas and water for a new, $140 million maximum-security prison to house 1,800 prisoners and employ up to 750 people.

A group that helped attract attention to Tamms, Ill., for the new super-maximum-security prison is standing by to offer its services to Metropolis and Pulaski County. The group, Southernmost Illinois Prison Committee, hopes to convince the state to look at Southern Illinois for its latest prison, said Jerry Reppert, a businessman at Anna, Ill., and chairman of the group.

The group was activated a year ago to help representatives in five Southern Illinois counties -- Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Union and Johnson -- pursue one of two state detention facilities: a prison for women and a juvenile facility. Metropolis was a finalist from 34 places that requested consideration. The facilities ended up at Rushville, Ill., and Hopkins Park, Ill.

Metropolis officials were contacted by the Illinois Department of Corrections recently about their possible interest in proposing a site, said Mayor Beth Clanahan.

"We'll take a serious look at it," said Clanahan. "We can't turn our backs on it with 750 jobs at stake."

Metropolis has a site in its industrial park near Interstate 24.

Pulaski County officials at Mound City haven't committed to an application but indicated they would look into it.

Williamson County and the towns of Metropolis, Clinton, Forepart, Onarga and Wenona won't have to reapply unless they want to update their applications. They were all finalists for one of the prison sites a year ago, and their applications automatically will go into the mix.

Deadline for applications and updates to the Department of Corrections is 5 p.m. Dec. 15.

The maximum-security prison will be the sixth for Illinois. Crowding is a problem, said Corrections Director Donald N. Snyder Jr.

"We're the only major state that extensively imprisons two maximum-security inmates in cells designed for one person," he said. "This crowding makes it difficult to manage inmates and creates problems for the correctional staff, which must maintain order in these facilities."

The new prison will allow for proper placement of inmates, he said. Snyder said it would also allow for more programs to educate prisoners and prepare them for employment when they are released.