Morton Mayor Greg Butler says his central Mississippi town has been eliminated from consideration for a private prison.

Butler says Morton was preparing for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to schedule public hearings which was part of the selection process when he was notified of the decision.

The project had been expected to bring 250 jobs to the area with an anticipated annual payroll of $6.5 million.

The BOP is looking for a site for an $80 million facility that would house about 2,000 inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes.

Butler says local officials knew competition for the facility would be fierce and a long shot. But he says it was an opportunity worth pursuing because of the potential jobs and business investments.