By Brian Lyman
Montgomery Advertiser
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed four criminal justice bills. Three of the bills require ADOC — facing a federal lawsuit over rampant violence in men’s prisons in the state — to improve disclosure and focus on rehabilitation.
The bills signed are:
HB 106, sponsored by Rep. Christopher England, D-Tuscaloosa, which requires the Alabama Department of Corrections to provide quarterly reports to the Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee on inmate deaths, sexual violence and contraband, as well as data on staffing, total population and participation in training and rehabilitation programs. The reporting requirement goes into effect Aug 1.
The bill also changes the oath taken by correctional officers to include a promise to observe regulations for “the care and rehabilitation of prisoners.” The oath changes goes into effect immediately.
SB 221, sponsored by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, that creates a deputy commissioner for rehabilitation within the Department of Corrections. The law tasks the commissioner with the “development, implementation, and improvement of programs designed to reduce recidivism.”
The bill also creates a commission to study, implement and improve programs reducing recidivism after release. The law goes into effect immediately.
SB 323, sponsored by Chambliss, which directs Corrections to develop rules allowing inmates who complete educational programs to take up to a year off their sentence. Violent offenders and sexual offenders would not be eligible.
Corrections would have to develop the rules in consultation with the Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee and submit them to the Legislative Services Agency by March 1 of next year.
(c)2021 the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.)