More than 200 Vermont inmates doing their time in Pennsylvania will shortly have a new cell — in Mississippi — under a new contract with a private-prison company.

in announcing the agreement, Gov. Phil Scott said it will be “better deal, a better situation for the offenders and for the state.”

But not for Frank Weir, says his attorney.

“Sending him to Mississippi would really be a death warrant for him,” said Peter Langrock.

Langrock was in federal court Thursday with Weir, 56, of Shrewsbury, who was accused of shooting his girlfriend to death in February 2017. Weir’s murder charge was recently dropped, but he’s still facing an un-related federal gun charge, which he is expected to plead guilty to.

Langrock has been working to keep Weir out of the Vermont prison system, which could involve moving him to Mississippi.

“One it’s a long ways away, two the climate is just a hot muggy climate which causes a lot of problems for many of the prisoners,” Langrock said.

He said Weir suffers from OPD and asthma and is nebulized at least three times a day. As part of the plea deal, Langrock says Weir will spend at least six more years behind bars, but will remain in the federal system.

“A much more sophisticated, much kinder system in terms of medical care and the things that he needs,’ he said. “The only reason Mississippi got the contract is because they were the cheapest.”

Vermont corrections officials announced Wednesday a contract with CoreCivic, a private prison company, to move Vermont inmates from Camp Hill in Pensylvania to the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, Mississippi.

While Scott defends moving in mates out of state, Langrock says Vermont’s inmate population must be reduced.

“These people are human beings who have got themselves into a difficult situation, he said. “They have very little chance to affect themselves and therefore we have to be exceptionally careful in caring for them.”

The transfer of inmates is expected to happen over the next couple of months.