The dates may differ, but you will hear the same rhetoric surrounding where a new state prison will go, especially if it is in Kewaunee County.

According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, bipartisan support to close the Green Bay Correctional Institution has surfaced again after Rep. Dave Steffen of Howard proposed replacing the over 100-year-old facility in Allouez in 2017. County, state, and local officials from both sides of the aisle have written the Department of Corrections, pointing out that a modern facility would be cheaper to operate and the current GBCI site is likely worth millions in redevelopment potential. In 2019, the Joint Finance Committee approved $5 million for replacing the facility, only to have it vetoed by Governor Tony Evers.

At that time, Kewaunee County was preparing to be one of the sites for the new prison, with Algoma and Luxemburg's officials voicing their interest in having the prison built there. Former Kewaunee County Chairperson Bob Weidner said in 2019 that there would have to be a payment in place of taxes so the new prison would benefit both the state and the local municipalities. In 2023, Kewaunee County Administrator Scott Feldt says the state has not approached them.

Feldt added that the county board did not take a stance at the time on whether or not it want the new prison built within the county. Rep. Steffen said a modern prison would save the taxpayers millions by being more efficiently built and owned by a private entity.