Alabama Initiative to Support Construction of Four New Prisons

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — In late February, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley announced the introduction of the Alabama Prison Transformation Initiative Act. The new legislation will provide for the construction of four modern and more efficient prison facilities for both male and female offenders.

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Alabama Governor Proposes Prison Closures, Consolidation

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Governor Robert Bentley in his Feb. 2 State of the State address in Montgomery announced plans to transform the state’s prison system. The governor hopes to modernize the system and improve public safety “through safe, secure, humane incarceration and effective, evidenced-based rehabilitation and re-entry services,” according to a statement by the Alabama Department of Corrections (DOC). The statement comes after nearly 10 months of planning and assessment by the DOC.

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Alabama DOC Aims to Silence Illicit Cell Phones

ELMORE COUNTY, Ala. — Alabama’s Draper, Elmore and Staton correctional facilities, all located in Elmore County, may soon receive managed-access systems aimed at blocking signals to contraband cell phones. The systems would render illicit cell phones useless within prison walls and are projected to cost the Alabama Department of Corrections (DOC) an estimated $2 million. An already proposed expansion of the program to four additional prisons — Fountain, Bibb, St. Clair and Donaldson — would bump that figure to $4 million.

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