ST. GABRIEL (AP) — Work has begun in Louisiana on a $146 millionwomen’sprison to replace a prison that flooded six years ago, and a ceremonial groundbreaking was held Thursday for the new Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. “I know that this new and improved facility is going to enhance access to education and vocational training programs such as cosmetology, horticulture, welding and computer programing – just to name a few,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “This new facility will provide more space for these reentry and vocational programs than we had at LCIW before it flooded. That’s great news, and is going to help us rehabilitate a lot more women.” The 938-bed prison in St. Gabriel will be the first state prison to be built since 1989, when the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center opened, the state Department of Corrections said in a news release. It’s expected to be finished at the end of 2024. “For six years, the state has worked with FEMA to agree on whether to renovate or rebuild,” the news release said. The price has gone up $32 million just since August 2021, when a plan to borrow up to $46 million toward its cost was approved.