Alabama Senate Approves Smaller Prison Plan

The Alabama Senate has approved a pared down prison construction plan. The bill authorizes the state to lease up to three prisons built by local communities. The bill would also authorize a three hundred and twenty five million dollars state bond issue to build one new prison and renovate others. The Southern Poverty Law Center is criticizing plan as inadequate and that it will not address problems like prison violence and understaffing. Go to apr.org to hear Alabama Public Radio’s multi part series on prison reform titled “…and justice for all.”