Rumors flying around Montgomery are that legislative leaders and the governor’s office have reached a tentative plan aimed at fixing the state’s prison problems. Meetings on a new prison plan started after Gov. Kay Ivey’s $3 billion prison lease plan fell apart in June. It had drawn intense opposition from State Auditor Jim Zeigler, taxpayers, and a lingering lawsuit started by the Trump Justice Department. The investors poised to fund the plan all backed out, and the plan died.
While Zeigler was never invited to any of the meetings to develop a new plan, he developed ten points on his own named “Operation Fresh Start.” He sent those to the 140 legislators. “The points in Operation Fresh Start are being used, and they are welcome to. It is amazing what can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit,” Zeigler said.
“Operation Fresh Start would be about one-third the cost of the Ivey plan,” he said.
Zeigler says points in his plan that appear to be adopted in the new plan are:
-Use low-cost state bonds to build the prisons instead of leasing them.
-Build only one new men’s super-prison to begin with.
-Build the prisons on land the state already owns, saving millions and avoiding disruption of neighborhoods near Tallassee, Alabama, and Brierfield in Bibb County.
-Refurbish existing prisons
-Upgrade mental health and drug treatment
-Use the vacant private prison building in Perry County.
The new prison plan could be the subject of a special session called by the governor or the January 2022 regular session.
