Alabama lawmakers want to know why some of the state's inmate education programs have lengthy wait times and are difficult for some inmates to access.
) - Alabama lawmakers want to know why some of the state’s inmate education programs are difficult for some inmates to access. Prison rights advocates have criticized the implementation of the programs in the past because they say inmates can be faced with lengthy wait times for limited program slots.
One of Jimmy Ellis’ first full days out from behind bars was spent at the state house for the joint prison committee. He said the substance abuse program and other educational initiatives are hard to get into and hard to stay in. “ so many people who are going to get into that program, and when they do get into that program, ok once they get the funding then they say they’re going to kick you out at the first misbehaving you’re kicked out, they move you to another dorm,” he said. The substance abuse program, or SAP, is an eight-week course designed to help inmates overcome these addictions so they can avoid reoffending. Lawmakers, such as Rep. Matt Simpson shared concerns about the wait list for these substance abuse programs to Stan Robinson, Alabama Department of Corrections Director of Education. “If order this, can’t get out on parole until they complete substance abuse program, so they’re sitting there waiting to get it done,” he said. “However, if they didn’t get this, they would’ve been out, so we’re really missing the mark in the treatment aspect of the people who need it.” Robinson said, with the exception of security concerns, there are efforts at transferring inmates to where there are open beds. “We’re making every effort to even, if there’s a disparity or even uneven amount of people at one institution, finding where the open beds are to level it out,” said Robinson. Rep. Chris England echoed Rep. Simpson’s comments, saying the funding of the programs should mean the resources and program are accessible to the inmates who volunteer or are required to participate in the program. “In terms of somebody who is matriculating through the system, and they’ve been assigned or asked to complete programs, whether it be drug programs or they’re involved in something else, because of the long waiting list and lack of resources, those resources end up being underutilized,” said Rep. England. For their next meeting, members of the committee asked the Alabama Department of Corrections to have the percentage of what inmates are not getting timely access to these programs. They did not give a definition of timely.Woman arrested after multiple emaciated dogs found
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