This May, Governor Robert Bentley signed into law an historic criminal justice bill designed to send fewer nonviolent offenders to Alabama prisons. Funding is expected to follow from the House of Representatives, as Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) has gathered commitments on the funding from legislative leaders.
The bill seeks to reverse a trend of overcrowding in Alabama prisons that’s been building for decades. The Department of Corrections currently houses an inmate population that’s more than double the capacity facilities were designed for, a level of overcrowding that may put the state at risk of federal intervention if it continues. The signed bill seeks to reduce the Alabama prison population by 4,200 inmates over five years.
The bill will create a new low-level felony classification, Class D, for some property and drug crimes. Punishments will be reduced for some in this classification. The legislation also calls for expansion of parole, as well as other reforms aimed at diverting offenders from prison and reducing recidivism.
Current prison overcrowding was not the only drive behind the bill. The Prison Reform Task Force used research and recommendations from the Council of State Governments Justice Center, which has helped other states develop similar reforms based on data and evidence.
This bill is a step in the right direction for relieving overburdened prison workers, improving the welfare of those in custody, and rehabilitating low-level crime offenders, who are often the best candidates for reform.