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| Corrections Crisis: Huntsville, AL (WAFF) |
| By waff.com - Eric Sollman |
| Published: 06/06/2011 |
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Overcrowded prisons, an under funded corrections system, and too many court cases for judges to get to in a timely fashion - these problems have stacked up for decades. Now there's a plan on the table to fix them, but not everyone is on board. Did you know right now one probation officer in Alabama looks after 196 people? That average is three times the nationally recommended number. Inmate Roger Thomas had a probation officer, but he's back in the Limestone County Jail because he couldn't pay his parole fee's. Thomas is trying to avoid going to prison, a place bursting at its bars. "Our average capacity is about 190% over capacity," said Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections, Kim Thomas. Commissioner Thomas manages one of the nation's largest and most under-funded prison systems. In front of law makers is their most noteworthy funding fix. The plan is to release 3,000 inmates in the next five years. The idea is to release inmates who are set to get out in sixth months. Their current sentence must be for a nonviolent offense or a split sentence. They're not suppose to get out if they've had their probation or parole revoked. Alabama's chief justice believes this will reduce overcrowded prisons and save the state millions of dollars each year. "That is what we're working on this year - getting appropriate sentences for non-violent offenders, so we can keep them out working, paying victims, paying restitution," said Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb. "We have two probation officers that work for the state here in Limestone county. They have more than 350 cases," said Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely. Sheriff Blakely said there's no way these parole officers can get to every inmate assigned to them. He said releasing several thousand inmates, is not the answer. "The fact that we've got to save money doesn't mean that we have to turn these people loose," he said. Prison Commissioner Kim Thomas said there's always a risk when you release someone who has committed a crime. Read More. |
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