Steve Flowers: Prison issues continue
As the 2021 Regular Legislative Session looms, the 800-pound gorilla in the room is the prison issue. The situation has grown more dire and imminent because the U.S. Justice Department has now filed suit against the State of Alabama. When Kay Ivey took office in January of 2019, she and the new legislature knew that they were going to have to address the prison problem in the state. Fixing prisons is not a popular issue. It wins you no votes to fix a broken prison system. Prisoners do not vote. However, victims of crime generally are voters, and they are adamant and vociferous in their beliefs that those who committed crimes should be put behind bars, locked up, and the keys thrown away. Judges also believe in strict prison sentences, especially in Alabama. Our judges are elected in the Heart of Dixie. Therefore, our prisons are overcrowded. Our men’s prisons are currently at 157% capacity. Governor Ivey and this legislature did not cause this problem. It has been building up and festering for years. The chickens have just come home to roost under their watch. Alabama prisons have been overcrowded and understaffed for years. Ivey’s predecessor, former Governor Robert Bentley, proposed legislation that would have built new prisons with a bond issue. Lawmakers considered several courses of action but never came up with a solution. The major obstacles to finding a remedy through legislative action is the cost factor and the location of any new prisons. Having a state prison in your district is a political plum for any legislator, especially those in rural districts. A prison is an economic boom to locals. It not only provides a host of jobs but also has peripheral economic benefits. The state realized the seriousness of this problem in April of 2019 when the Department of Justice stepped in and said Alabama has to do something or they will. The Feds have in the past taken over Alabama’s Prison System during the George Wallace vs. Judge Frank Johnson era. In recent years the federal government has taken over California’s prison system due to overcrowding. The ultimate leniency threshold seems to be 150% capacity. When the Justice Department sent the warning, we were at 175% capacity. During the 2019 legislative session the legislature, led by Senator Cam Ward, took some actions toward recidivism that has had an immediate impact. The Justice Department edict not only called Alabama out on overcrowding, they also addressed the excessive violence and the lack of mental health treatment among the inmates. However, they hung their hat on the constitutional rights that Alabama’s prisoners are not being provided adequate human conditions of confinement. Therefore, the cornerstone solution is three new mega men’s prisons. Governor Ivey took the bull by the horns and made an executive decision to proceed without legislative approval or input. She made the decision quietly and without discussion or hesitancy to go with private developers to build three men’s new correction facilities. The proposed sites are in Bibb, Elmore, and Escambia Counties. The Department of Corrections already has major prisons in all three of these counties, which makes it a logical decision. Three separate prime developers have been chosen by the governor to finance, build and maintain the three prisons that the state would lease and operate. The states’ cost for leasing these facilities would be capped at a total of $88 million a year. The Department of Corrections and the Governor say they can pay for the leases on new prisons through cost savings. A good many legislators do not like Governor Ivey’s unilateral decision to proceed with contracting for new prisons without their consent. This is a big-ticket item that the legislature would like to be involved with since they are responsible for the funding and balancing of the state’s budgets. The legislature will also need to address other issues outlined in the Department of Justice edict. This major issue of overcrowding seems to be a problem that the state legislature and governor have to focus on and resolve in the year 2021. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Ex-state Sen. Cam Ward sworn in as head of Alabama parole agency
Longtime state legislator Cam Ward, who spearheaded prison reform and criminal justice legislation during his time at the Alabama Senate, was sworn in Monday as director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey administered the oath of office to Ward after appointing him to replace Charlie Graddick, who resigned amid criticism over the slowing pace of paroles. Ward, a Republican from Alabaster, stepped down from his Senate seat to take the state agency position. Ivey on Monday also set special election dates to fill Ward’s Senate seat. District 14 represents portions of Bibb, Chilton, Hale, Jefferson, and Shelby counties. The special primary election will be March 30. A runoff, if needed, will be held April 27, and the special general election will be July 13. “I appreciate Senator Ward agreeing to serve in his new capacity as director of the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, but it is just as critical to fill the open seat on behalf of the people in Senate District 14,” Ivey said in a statement. Ward served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and has worked on issues related to corrections and courts. Alabama prisons held about 21,000 inmates in August, the last time the Department of Corrections released statistics. The prisons were designed to hold about 12,400 people, the report showed. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
April Weaver running for Senate seat vacated by Cam Ward
April Weaver will be running for the State Senate seat being vacated by Senator Cam Ward. Governor Kay Ivey appointed Ward to serve as director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles in November. “I am so excited to announce my run for State Senate,” Weaver stated. “As a lifelong resident of Senate District 14, I know the people and the communities. I am prepared to work hard and earn the votes of the hard-working citizens of Shelby, Bibb, and Chilton Counties.” Weaver, a former Republican state legislator, resigned her seat to join the Trump Administration in May. She served in the House of Representatives, representing parts of Shelby, Bibb, and Chilton counties. During her tenure in the State House, Weaver had a reputation of being a hardworking, strong conservative on both fiscal and social issues. In 2015, she was appointed to serve as Chairwoman of the House Health Committee, the first woman to serve in that leadership role. In 2019, Weaver voted against the Rebuild Alabama Act, which included a statewide gas tax increase. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve in the Trump Administration,” Weaver continued. “I am deeply proud of the incredible things we were able to accomplish to make our country stronger, safer, and more secure and was humbled that President Trump chose me to help during this health crisis. However, as this chapter of my life closes, another opens, and I am ready to serve the people of Alabama again.” “I have always been a fiscal conservative, and I have been proud to stand up for the pocketbooks of the families I have represented,” Weaver added. “Senate District 14 needs a proven conservative with courage to stand up for them. My entire career in public service has demonstrated that I am that type of conservative.” Ward’s resignation is official on December 7. Gov. Kay Ivey hasn’t formally called the election, and the election dates haven’t been set yet.
New Senate leader: Economy, virus recovery among priorities
In February, the Alabama Senate will have a new leader for the first time in a decade when Republican Sen. Greg Reed of Jasper takes the helm as president pro tempore. Republicans have named Reed, who has been majority leader since 2014, to replace longtime Pro Tem Del Marsh, who is stepping down. Reed said in a telephone interview Tuesday that rebuilding the state’s economy and alleviating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic will be his initial priorities. “The people of Alabama are focused on the economy. They are focused on the changes we have seen in the economy. They are focused on job growth. … mitigating the coronavirus and being able to deal with that in collaboration with the federal government,” Reed said. He said the “tactical pieces” of that will include renewing Alabama’s industrial incentives that are set to expire and addressing liability protection for businesses and organizations related to the virus. “They are going to changes in the economy as far as what a post-coronavirus economy is going to look like,” Reed said. Reed also said the pandemic has emphasized the need for expanded broadband across the state. Marsh has said that will be one of his priorities in the upcoming session. Reed, 55, was first elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010. He has a business and marketing from the University of Alabama and is vice president of Preferred Medical Systems. His Senate biography lists his interests as spending time with his three sons, sporting events, fishing, hunting, and singing gospel music. During his 10 years in the state Senate, Reed has developed a reputation for a cautious approach, refraining from the type of off-the-cuff remarks that generate controversy and headlines. “He’s low key but also a diplomat’s diplomat. He knows how to make sure every member from both sides of the aisle will feel like they have a voice in the process,” outgoing Sen. Cam Ward said of Reed. While Republicans hold a lopsided majority in the Senate, with numbers that easily allow them to push through legislation, Reed said he wants to focus on building relationships on both sides of the aisle and make sure are all senators have an opportunity to be heard. “Number 1, I think the job of the pro tem is to make sure that the body is able to function, that all of the members of the body are able to be involved in the process, to be heard,” Reed said. Legislation to address the state’s troubled prison system is also expected in the upcoming session, Reed said. The U.S. Department of Justice has threatened to sue Alabama over violent and poor conditions in the state’s prisons. Asked about the governor’s plan to lease three privately built prisons, Reed said he expects additional discussion on whether it is better for the state to build or lease those prisons. “It’s a big issue. It is a difficult topic, but I applaud the governor for moving forward,” Reed said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Gov. Kay Ivey appoints Sen. Cam Ward to director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday that she has appointed Sen. Cam Ward to serve as director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Ward’s appointment is effective December 7, 2020. He is currently serving his third term in the Alabama State Senate. He serves as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ward graduated from Troy State University in 1993 and from Cumberland School of Law. He is also a practicing attorney, and he has focused his private career on economic development. “Cam Ward has spent his career as an attorney and public servant dedicated to Alabama’s criminal justice system,” Governor Ivey said. “As he transitions to director of Pardons and Paroles, I’m confident that his background and experience will position him to closely follow the letter of the law while providing individuals every opportunity possible to rebuild their lives post incarceration.” Along with his tenure in the Alabama State Senate, Ward served two terms in the Alabama House of Representatives. He also worked as the deputy attorney general for Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor and was assigned to the Alabama State Auditor’s office, where he served as legal counsel. Ward lives in Alabaster with his wife Lindsey and their two daughters. “I’m honored that Governor Ivey had the confidence to appoint me to this position,” Ward commented. “I have committed my career in the Senate to improving our criminal justice system in Alabama, and I look forward to working with Governor Ivey going forward in this effort.” Ward will have to resign his Senate seat prior to starting the position.
Alabama gov seeks 3 private built mega prisons, names sites
Kay Ivey announced the Alabama Department of Corrections would enter into negotiations with two development teams.
Special session possible to renew industrial incentives
The Alabama Jobs Act, which provides tax credits and rebates to new industries, will expire on Dec. 31.
Ivey administration inches forward on plan to lease prisons
Ivey’s office said they are now in a “confidential proposal evaluation period.”
Lawmakers return for shortened session
Only 60 members of the 105-member House answered roll.
Inside the Statehouse: March 3rd primary analysis
Steve Flowers reviews last week’s primary results and the implications on the upcoming runoff.
Inside the Statehouse: Primaries next week
Steve Flowers discusses next week’s primary elections.
Inside the Statehouse: Legislative session begins – priority will be resolving prison problems
Steve Flowers discusses the prison crisis and its role in the ongoing legislative session.
