HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — Officials in Hastings are pushing for a proposed Behavioral Health Treatment Center — intended to transition prison inmates back into society — to be built in their central Nebraska city.

State Sen. Les Seiler, of Hastings, and Hastings Mayor Vern Powers held a news conference Wednesday to lobby for the center’s placement in Hastings.

Architects, engineers and others visited the Hastings Regional Center in October to examine the property and see if some of its existing buildings could be renovated to house the center. A study released Tuesday said the buildings would likely not be suitable for the 200-bed facility that would treat male inmates for behavioral health and substance abuse issues. The study instead recommends building a new facility.