Zoning regulations for unincorporated Shelby County voted down despite concerns around men’s prison transitional program

HARPERSVILLE, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Some Shelby County voters took part in a special election to decide zoning regulations for some unincorporated parts of the county near Harpersville and Vincent.

Election results report that 58.29% of voters voted against zoning regulations and 41.21% voted for the regulations. There was also one undervote cast, where a ballot was submitted with no vote recorded.

Some voters had concerns about what this land could be used for if not regulated, including a property off of Highway 25, where the old flea market used to be on the Harpersville town line.

The property is being used by Breakaway Pointe, a nonprofit organization that helps men released from prison re-integrate into society. Some living in the area are worried about having convicted felons in the area.

“The last thing you want to have to do is deal with the possibility, it’s not that you got anything against them having a second chance. I’m for them having a second chance,” Shelby County resident Albert Baker Datcher said.

Some voters say their concerns around Breakaway Pointe stem from feeling like they don’t fully know what happens there.

“To me, it’s concerning from the standpoint that we don’t really know that much about it. There’s not much disclosure as to what was really going on and to me, you really need to be transparent. Let the folks know really what it’s about,” Shelby County resident Charles Beggs said.

Breakaway Pointe is a transitional program for men released from prison that works in tandem with the Lifelink Core program which is a two-year program to rehabilitate men while they are still behind bars. Breakaway Pointe says in the last six years, none of the former inmates who have come through their program have “failed” or violated parole and have gone on to live successful lives.

According to Breakaway Pointe, 79% of inmates in Alabama prisons are considered violent offenders.

“We don’t really judge by that, we try to help people who are ready to change their life and if they’ve committed a violent or nonviolent crime in the past, that doesn’t necessarily define who they are today,” Randy Walker, on the Breakaway Pointe Board of Directors, said. “We do not limit, other than sex offenders who cannot go to Breakaway Pointe.”

Some voters say they voted against the zoning regulations for personal land use but think a transitional program like Breakaway Pointe should have the community’s full support.

“If they’ve been in prison, they’ve done their time and if somebody’s helping them transition back into society, they need that,” Shelby County resident Kristi Pruett said. “Because especially if you take somebody that went in at a young age, they never had the opportunity to live in society, working, paying bills.”

Breakaway Pointe says no matter the results of the election, it will not be using the property for housing due to people’s complaints. Ultimately, they want the men to be in a community where they are supported.

“We committed to [the Mayor of Wilsonville] that we would not build housing for ex-offenders coming out of our program and the reason our Board of Directors decided that is because of all the opposition in the community,” Walker said. “It just would not be fair to bring men into that environment when you have such an adversarial situation with the community.”

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