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Corrections director outlines plan for Lincoln facility

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The state corrections director says transforming Nebraska's prisons must begin by expanding and improving lower-security facilities.

Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes talked to lawmakers Wednesday about his $26.1 million budget request to renovate a coed community corrections facility in Lincoln. The facility was built for 200 people, but currently houses nearly 400 male and female inmates.

Frakes called coed custody a "failed experiment" and said Nebraska's female inmates, many of whom have experienced physical and emotional abuse, need spaces they can feel safe.

The facility wouldn't be completed for three years. Some lawmakers worry the plan is too cautious and question whether such changes could be implemented quickly enough to avoid a possible federal lawsuit.

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