State Rep. Steve Stafstrom, of Bridgeport, says he crafted a provision in the new state budget to commission a study that would explore closing the Bridgeport Correctional Center.

"It's not the right place for a jail," Stafstrom said, pointing out it's right across the street from Central High School and the new Wakeman Boys & Girls Club.

Mayor Joe Ganim says the level 4 high-security lockup has a long history of generating complaints about poor inmate conditions.

Ganim says he has a plan to build a thousand units of new affordable housing where the correctional center now stands on North Avenue, in the Lower North End, bordering the Hollow and downtown.

"Moving the jail out of this neighborhood would allow us to create not only new affordable housing, but more open space for young people, like the kids who play here in BJ Brown Memorial Park, right across the street from the jail," Ganim said.

Lawmakers say they're looking at the idea of closing the New Haven Correctional Center, as well -- which is also located in a residential area - and putting prisoners from both jails in one new bigger facility that would be built somewhere between Bridgeport and New Haven.