By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – A private correctional facility in Louisiana has won a bid over a newer private lock-up in Perry County. The Alabama prison system will be sending 600 medium-security inmates to Shreveport. Emerald Correctional Management of that city offered to keep the inmates for 28 dollars per day per inmate. The new facility in Perry County offered a bid that was six-and-a-half dollars higher per inmate. Corrections department director Richard Allen is under a court order to reduce Alabama's county jail backlog from 585 to 400. Circuit Judge William Shashy has given the department until June 20th to do it.