ULLIN, Ill. -- Construction of a $7.5 million, 200-bed regional prison near Ullin will start next week.

The Tri-County Detention and Justice Center will be built about 150 yards southwest of the Illinois State Highway Patrol District 22 Headquarters near the Interstate 57-Ullin interchange.

Officials from Western Corrections Inc., a private prison company headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., and representatives from three Southern Illinois counties held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday.

"We'll start moving dirt Wednesday," said Wesley Box, a managing partner of Western Corrections, who was present for the groundbreaking. "We should start moving prisoners into the new facility by October of next year."

Also on hand were representatives of two construction companies: Keith Sorensen of Layton Construction of Salt Lake City, which will serve as construction manager for the program, and Randy Lyons, vice president of River City Construction of Benton, Ill., which will be general contractor.

"Several hundred workers will have a hand in the yearlong construction project," said Sorensen. "Once we get started we'll have from 40 to 50 workers here at any one time."

"This is a milestone for the tri-county area," said Gene Dixon, Pulaski County sheriff. "This is the first private prison in the state of Illinois, and a lot of people will be watching this operation."

Dixon also will be warden of the prison because Illinois law requires the sheriff of the county where a private prison exits to be the warden.

The prison will house prisoners from Pulaski, Alexander and Union counties, all of which have signed agreements to use it.

"We're the only one of the three counties with an operational jail," said Warren "Buddy" Mitchell, Alexander County sheriff. "Our jail was built in 1964, and is in need of some repairs."

Mitchell, Dixon and Union County Sheriff Harlan Coffman agreed the prison is needed.

"I think it is the best thing for the three counties," said Mitchell. "We spend three-fourths of our budget on housing prisoners now. With the new facility we will save money and can put more emphasis on law enforcement."

The prison will be financed, constructed and operated by Western Corrections. Civi Jennies of Massachusetts will operate it for Western Corrections.

Officials from the three counties have worked together on the prison. They talked with two regional jail companies before approving its design and location. Union County was the first to sign the agreement in early February. Pulaski followed suit, and Alexander signed the agreement last month.

Pulaski and Union counties do not have operational county jails and are paying to send prisoners to other counties. Union County prisoners are being lodged in Jackson County at Murphysboro and Pulaski County puts prisoners in Massac County Jail at Metropolis.

Pulaski County's jail closed in December 1987; Union County's jail closed in October 1994.

The prison will employ about 60 people.

A deputy administrator will be hired locally, said Box. Distribution of other jobs will be equal in the three counties.

Western Corrections will recoup its investment through an estimated $50-a-day charge for each inmate sent there by Alexander, Pulaski and Union counties. Other state and federal prisoners also may be jailed there, the company said.

The complex will also contain an infirmary, a courtroom, judge's chamber, conference room and offices for prosecutors, public defenders and other court personnel. The courtroom will be used for pretrial hearings and negotiated pleas. Jury trials must be conducted in the county where a defendant is charged.

Western Corrections operates 75 other jails across the country.