Costa says budget resolution passed by House contains “sufficient funding” to complete Mendota Federal Prison

WASHINGTON,D.C. - The continuingfederal budget resolution passed by the House Wednesday contains money thatcould be used to complete construction of the Mendota Federal Prison, accordingto Congressman Jim Costa, D-Fresno.

Included in the Bureau of Prisons portion of the continuingresolution is more than $432 million in prison construction funds.

In remarks prepared for delivery on the House floor, Costapraised House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-WI, andCongressman Jerry Lewis, R-CA, the Committee's Ranking Member, "for includingsufficient funding to complete the construction of the Mendota Federal Prison."

The current phase of construction on the Mendota site is dueto be completed in March and funding issues had left continuation of theproject in limbo. However, Costa noted that with passage of the budgetresolution, "The federal government is stepping up to a commitment that was to California and Mendotaby providing enough funds to complete the prison."

So far, Costa stated, the Bureau of Prisons has spent $100million to complete about 40 percent of the Mendota prison facility. Oncecompleted, the facility will provide 1552 beds to help address overcrowding inthe nation's federal prison system which is currently 37 percent overcapacity. Costa said, "The prison will provide good jobs and amajor boost to Mendota's very depressed local economy."

# # #