WETUMPKA, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Department of Corrections officials say a surveillance system featuring more than 300 cameras has been installed at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka. Department Commissioner Kim Thomas said Thursday that the surveillance system is part of an effort to improve inmate safety at the facility. The U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year issued a report saying the prison was not suitable for housing female offenders since it offered them little privacy to shower, use the bathroom and had numerous blind spots that could make it possible for sexual activity to go undetected. Several prison guards have been accused of sexual harassment and abuse. Thomas says the department understands the impact of the system will depend on how it is managed by corrections officials.
