By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Former Deputy Attorney General Richard Allen is now the state's prison commissioner. The governor appointed him Wednesday. Allen now has 30 days to develop a plan to address the state's massive prison overcrowding problem. He's doesn't have a background in prison administration, but Allen spent years as a prosecutor under three of the state's current and former attorneys general. He replaces Donal Campbell, who resigned last week. The governor also appointed his deputy legal adviser, Vernon Barnett, as chief deputy commissioner of prisons.