New Prison Possible For Preston County Complex

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons is considering a major expansion at its sprawling complex in Preston County, W.Va. The bureau is exploring the construction of a medium-security facility that would hold more than 1,100 inmates and include a central utility plant, radio tower, warehouses and a staff training center. The new facility would create 250 new jobs.

The prison system already operates a high-security men’s prison, a minimum-security men’s camp and a women’s prison at the site. About 450 employees work at the existing facilities, which hold 2,355 inmates. West Virginia has five federal prisons and is building a sixth, a medium-security complex in McDowell County.