State reopens prison to handle growing inmate population

ANCHORAGE (AP) - An Alaska prison that was closed for about five years reopened Aug. 16 after a nearly $17 million renovation, corrections officials said.

The reopening of the Palmer Correctional Facility in Sutton will add about 300 beds to the state’s current prison capacity of about 5,200. The prison closed in 2016 because of a declining inmate population and as the state wanted to cut costs.

The state estimates it will cost about $15 million a year to operate the prison.

The number of people incarcerated in Alaska increased over the past two years until it fell during the pandemic. The sta...