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| Commissioner urges lobby for funds |
| By The Decatur Daily |
| Published: 06/13/2006 |
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DECATUR, AL - Alabama Prison Commissioner Richard Allen was in Decatur on Monday selling community corrections as one way to lower the bulging prison population. His message to Morgan County: Please hurry and apply for your share of seed money for a program. The county has a director to begin a community corrections program, but has not applied for state funding. Allen said county officials should apply for money from $5 million the Legislature set aside for community corrections. The state will provide 25 percent of the cost up front as seed money, he said. The Community Corrections and Court Services Commission hired Alison Nix to lead the program. Monday was her first day. This was the first step toward creating the program, according to County Commission Chairman John Glasscock, who also chairs the corrections commission. "We haven't applied for any money from the state yet," said Glasscock. "The corrections commission will meet with Ms. Nix this week, and they will go over with her what needs to be done." The County Commission is starting the program with $50,000, and Nix's salary comes from that amount. Allen said that for each felon the county is able to divert from the prison system through community corrections, the state will pay $15 a day. As inmates progress in the program, the amount decreases to $10 per day and then to $5. He said community corrections will not work if judges do not support such programs. Some existing programs in the state are excellent and others are marginal, he said. Allen said about 600 people have been diverted to community corrections statewide this year. "We've got to be more aggressive or it isn't going to work," he said. His goal is to put people who are suitable into community corrections so prison beds will be freed for people who commit serious or violent crimes. Allen said he was unaware that U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon ordered Morgan officials to create community corrections to give judges an alternative to sentencing defendants to jail or prison. Clemon's order is to keep the county jail population under control. |
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