Comments on: Alabama To Build Three Mega Prisons, One Near Atmore; Will Create 2,800 Local Construction Jobs

By: Ciano

Ciano — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 02:52:44 +0000

Building new prisons is not the answer. There are men in thoes prisons that have taking it upon themselves to rehabilitate themselves and each other to be productive citizens in society and ALDOC keeps them locked up. You don’t need a new prison you need a new Governor and commissioner.

By: miixster

miixster — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 17:48:22 +0000

justice Dept. reports as of 2016 1 in 4 staff members that worked in private facilities made less than 26,000 a year. Nobody is going to be breaking down the doors for one of these private prison jobs

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 14:50:23 +0000

Thats great, a prison bed and breakfast ..niiiice

By: JD

JD — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 02:35:37 +0000

Look at all of Florida s fiasco with private ran prisons. It costed more than when the state ran them. Also thousands of lawsuits that had to be paid with taxpayer dollars because of the private operators running on the cheap. So word up to our neighbors in alabama , challenge this to no ends or live with never ending lawsuits and being in the news for all the wrong reasons.

By: Just saying

Just saying — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 23:58:18 +0000

Ummm

They can build on existing land without tearing the prisons down.

Ever notice all the vacant land around the prison? The state owns it.

They own miles of it.

No need to House the prisoners anywhere else until they New prisons are built.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 22:11:24 +0000

There is plenty of land at the current prison to build another on site.
BUT then someone’s hand dont get greased selling off some NEW land.

By: NIMBY

NIMBY — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 21:44:58 +0000

Classic NIMBY.

Not
In
My
Back
Yard

By: Hmmm

Hmmm — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 20:36:18 +0000

@DJC It’s interesting the view people have on prisons if they have never gone to one in some sort of ministry or had a family member incarcerated. Yes, there are murderers, rapists, and violent people locked up. They need to stay locked up, and while conditions need to be humane and as safe as possible, it is what it is. The problem is, the majority of people locked up are in on some sort of drug charge or something related to their drug habit. They may have been in trouble when they were young so a minor charge get jacked up to 5 or 10 years.

There are thousands of people in prison that if they would have had money to have a decent lawyer, it would have gotten worked out and they wouldn’t have even gone. Like I said, there are the bad ones, but many are just normal people who got in a bad place with drugs and ended up paying the price. MOST of these guys decide to clean up and work on themselves in prison. They work out, take anti-drug classes, get their GED, take vocational training, play ball, learn to play a musical instrument, do constructive things. Try to pass the time as quickly as possible, stay out of trouble, be able to have meaningful visits from their family and hopefully be in a place to make something out of themselves when they get out.

The whole point is to rehabilitate these people so that when they do get out, they can be successful. The classes, a decent environment, clean facilities, books to read, and ways to improve themselves go a long way towards the person being successful and not re-offending or breaking probation. Places that have a better prison systems have a much, much lower rate of recidivism than places with horrible prisons. That’s a statistical fact. So better prisons and a better prison system overall will make the state safer and save it money in the long run.

If a prison is a hell-hole, dirty, full of drugs of every type, spice, home-made hooch, weapons and contraband brought in by staff who hate their jobs (ie Alabama prisons) would it be possible to improve yourself? Most of those prisons, YOU HAVE TO BELONG to a gang or group to survive. That involves attending meetings, fighting if someone in the group needs help, etc. Inmates that get out of those places have a MUCH higher rate of going back to prison.

I guess a lot of you aren’t Christians, because if you have never sinned you don’t need God… there are a LOT of perfect people here, who have never made mistakes.

By: chris

chris — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 18:27:31 +0000

” Why cant they tear them down and use the land for the new one” what do they do with the prisoners in the meantime? Hmmmmmmm.

By: Just saying

Just saying — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 17:08:36 +0000

Logical questions have been asked by others in this comments section.

It’s a shame no state officials will ever answer them.

The reality is that a massive government construction program is about two things. First is new prisons. Secondly and more importantly to those making the decisions is awarding contracts and transfer of wealth. Transfer of tax dollars to private companies. The prison system owns thousands of acres with most of it shovel ready. It already has infrastructure including water and electrical. Now if you move the location you get to sell land, Dozier work, new water, etc. All that is money going to private companies. Once you vacate the existing prisons then you get to sell the land.
More money to private individuals and transfer of the land out of the state.

Ride by the old barn that the prison let fall in for want of a roof. With free labor they couldn’t fix it? It wasn’t about fixing it. It was about letting it deteriorate so that no one complains when it’s tore down.

Just saying.

Follow the money.