Washington tries to deal with overflowing prisons

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Department of Corrections has signed a contract with a prison company to allow up to 1,000 of the state's inmates to be housed in rural Michigan.

The News Tribune reports the agency signed the deal with GEO Group on May 13 to keep a contingency plan in place after the expiration of a contract with another private prison company.

Under the contract, the state would pay the company $60 per day per inmate, which could reach $24 million a year. The contract runs through August 2018 and can be extended for two extra years.

Prisons run by GEO have been accused of poor living conditions and dangerous practices. But, the company says its facilities are safe.

In April, Washington's prison system reached near capacity with 16,700 inmates.