Joint Prison Committee meeting intensifies with Alabama prison system leaders

MONTGOMERY, Ala. ( WIAT ) — The Joint Prison Committee held an emotional meeting today with leaders in Alabama’s prison system.

John Hamm, Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, updated lawmakers on the state of Alabama’s prisons.

Leigh Gwathney, Chair of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, also stood before lawmakers.

“The parole board is not working,” said Beth Smith, relative of a former inmate. “The parole system is not working. These prisons are becoming more and more populated.”

Smith and many others listened in as lawmakers heard from both Hamm and Gwathney. Hamm said there’s a solution to the problems, but it will take time to fix. “That’s captain obvious. We know what’s going on, we’re trying to fix it,” said Hamm. “But there’s no silver bullet. It is going to take a massive effort for a long time, so, we’re on that road.”

According to Hamm, that road includes recruiting officers, with ninety nine people going through the academy right now. “We have some very good people now on hiring, recruiting, and trying to retain correction officers cause that’s the crux of a lot of our stuff’,” said Hamm.

And Gwathney came under fire for Alabama’s 20% parole grant rate. “For as many times that can be hand picked out that we don’t conform with the guidelines and deny parole, there’s times when we don’t conform and grant parole,” she explained.

Gwathney said these guidelines were put in place long before she stepped into the role, and are outdated, even though she is one of the ones who can revise them.

“So the process itself has to work one way or another,” said State Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa). “We’re at the point where we can either determine if it’s the guidelines- if it’s the guidelines, then we fix it. But if it’s a personnel problem, we can fix that too.”

And State Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville) also wants answers. “It’s a real pet peeve of mine. Of government saying ‘You all do this, but we don’t have to do it.’ No. If we’re able to make the rules and change the rules, then we should follow the rules,” Chambliss said.

Lawmakers cited the impact that policy changes have on the prison system, such as increasing penalties for crimes. They talked about communicating better with the Department of Corrections when it comes to making those decisions.

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