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Arizona Might Want to Send Prisoners to Missouri

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano
(State of Arizona Photo)
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano

By AP/KWMU

Jefferson City, MO – Missouri is considering taking some of Arizona's prisoners as part of a plan to relieve that state's prison crowding.

An aide to Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano last week suggested Missouri as one of the states being considered for a potential prisoner transfer. But a spokesman for Missouri's Corrections Department says there are no immediate plans to take those prisoners.

Arizona has 30,700 prisoners, about 4,000 more than the prison system's capacity.

John Fougere, a spokesman for the Missouri
Department of Corrections, says preliminary talks had begun between the two states about a possible prisoner transfer.

But he says Missouri is a long way from any kind of decision; he also says several other states have also been contacted.

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