The ongoing debate over the need for a new Nebraska prison heard from the head of the State Supreme Court today, yet it wasn’t a definite yes or no.

But while delivering his annual State of the Judiciary Address to the Legislature, Chief Justice Mike Heavican argued that without a successful probation system a second prison would be necessary.

According to Heavican, on any given day there are 14,000 adults and 2,500 juveniles on probation.

Each adult on probation costs $5,500 a year, compared to $42,000 a year if they were incarcerated.

Heavican: “if even a fraction of the 14,000 adults on probationers were instead incarcerated, this body would need to build more than one new prison.”

A new prison, which would replace the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln, comes with a $270 million price tag.

The Legislature has already set aside $155 million but still needs to approve the remaining $115 million.

Gov. Jim Pillen has said the new prison is needed.