The director is hereby authorized to enter into a contract on behalf of the state of Missouri with the United States, pursuant to the provisions of an act of the Congress of the United States granting consent to the states to enter into agreements or compacts for cooperative effort and mutual assistance in the prevention of crime and for other purposes, which contract shall have as its objective the establishment of programs whereby persons convicted of crimes in any state party to the agreement may be transferred to and incarcerated in correctional facilities in any other state party to the agreement.