Rep. Scott Daniels, D-Salt Lake, urged lawmakers to pass the proposal. Daniels, a former 3rd District Court judge who is not running for reelection, said that the growth in the number of female inmates is "almost shockingly dramatic."

He went on to say that something has to be done to slow the growth. Daniels said if lawmakers keep adopting policies that put people behind bars for longer periods of time, "the state is going to go bankrupt in a couple of years."

There was less discussion about securing the Range Creek site. Tuesday, a legislative committee debated whether about half of the $152,000 should come from an appropriation to the University of Utah for the project.

The compromise approved Wednesday calls for the U. to give up $50,000, with the rest coming from the state surplus that totaled about $100 million.

A group of lawmakers drove into Range Creek last weekend, and several used words like "a national treasure" and "pristine and undisturbed" in saying full-time security must be provided to the site so visitors or vandals don't harm it.

Rep. Ben Ferry, R-Corinne, said a Shoshone Indian burial mound on his family's property near the Bear River was dug out in the middle of the night, even though the vandals had to travel down the river at night for 10 miles. "Some people will do anything to get these artifacts," and the Range Creek site must be protected, he said.

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