The state is offering an $80 million grant to a county to build a youth prison system.
Brown County is one of four counties interested in doing that.
Officials submitted a $43 million plan to build it on county land near the current prison and youth detention center on Green Bay’s east side.
Executive Director of Health and Human Services Erik Pritzl says they proposed a 24 bed secure residential care center and a 32 bed secure detention.
He says the services would be separate but part of one campus.
The state grant would cover 95 percent of the cost associated with design and construction leaving the county to come up with $2 million for the initial build.
It’s estimated annual operating expenses will be about $7 million and at least one county board member wants to make sure Brown County isn’t stuck with that bill.
