The Prison Population in Alabama: A Dilemma
The State of Alabama ranks third nationally in inmates serving life terms—which sounds great until you consider what we’re paying and what we’re getting in return.
If harsh prison sentences keep us safe, Alabama should be one of the safest states in the nation. Alabama ranks third nationally in the percentage of our inmates serving lifetime prison terms, according to a study recently released by the Sentencing Project.
Close to 5,100 of Alabama’s 29,000 inmates, 17.3%, were serving life sentences in 2008. Only California and New York have a higher percentage of lifers. A far greater proportion of Alabama’s life population, almost 28%, is serving a true life-without-possibility of parole with no chance of parole at all.
Disturbing is how disproportionately these lengthily prison sentences have gone to Blacks. Close to 66% of all Alabama lifers are Black; of those sentenced to life-without-parole, more than 68% are Black.
Alabama ranks, according to the Sentencing Project, first in the country for locking up Black juveniles for life. In Alabama, 84% is serving life terms for crimes they committed as juveniles are Black. It is apparent that Alabama has given up on poor kids and minority kids too quickly.
We do all of this at a considerable expense, and not just in lost human potential. Although Alabama spends less per inmate than almost every other state, it still spends plenty. This year, the Department of Corrections expects the total to be some $412 million. The political push for longer, fixed sentences helps drive up this number.
For starters, aging lifers develop health problems, and the cost of their treatment falls to the taxpayers. Secondly, the prison system has gone to great expense to find alternative housing for Alabama inmates. Our prisons contain twice as many inmates as they were designed to hold, and there’s a great juggling act that must be performed to squeeze in new comers without creating crowded conditions that put the Department of Corrections at risk of legal action and the department’s employees at risk of even worse.
Third, we can be tough on crime. This is not to say there aren’t people who, for public safety’s sake, need to spend the rest of their lives in prison. There are. Even the Sentencing Project, which advocates punishment other than prison, doesn’t argue this fact.
Alabama hasn’t always been smart in identifying who should be behind bars. There are too many stories of bicycle thief’s and drug offenders locked up for long sentences.
The situation got so far out of hand that even Alabama’s often shortsighted political leaders recognized it and took steps to help rid the prison system of some nonviolent lifers. The study from the Sentencing Project, however, suggests Alabama remains overly fond of lengthy prison terms and for what?
In 2008, Alabama was close to the top in the nation for locking people up and throwing away the key. Yet, according to “Crime State Rankings 2008,” Alabama was the country’s 15th most dangerous state.
Criminology Research Project, Inc. Executive Director, Edward Blackwelder, points out that in comparison with the general population 50% -80% of an institution’s population has a diagnoses of Antisocial Personality Disorder. This diagnosed inmate group is a subculture within a subculture and stands alone among the institutional population.
One must ask the reason for confining a person to prison. The choice is: punishment, protection of society or rehabilitation. The punishment aspect is the mere warehousing of the inmate as is the protection of society. Rehabilitation is, however, another question and another problem all to together. However, it must be pointed out that a majority of our prison population will eventually be released. What should the state attempt to assure the maximum potential of success for the inmate upon release? Presently, a successful answer seems to alude the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Does rehabilitation in the correctional environment work? In Alabama the recidivism rate is extremely high, somewhere around 76%. This percentage indicates that rehabilitation programs do not fulfill the sought after goals. If a business failed to make a sale 76% of the time it would not exist long. Nevertheless, only 24% of parolees remain crime free upon release. This is not a good indication that rehabilitation works, or, at least, Alabama does not have an effective series of programs that lead to a lowering of this high rate of inmate release where the inmate returns to prison for having committed another crime, generally within five years of release.
Alabama must come up with a solution to it’s prison problem. Is there a need to restructure sentencing at the judicial level, lowering the length of the sentence, or should alternative programs to incarceration be put into place?
The problem is not with the Alabama Department of Corrections. In fact, corrections is the only part of the make-up of the criminal justice system that has no discretion. Enforcement has this discretion in that it can and does make a decision as to whether to make an arrest. The Courts have the discretion, to a degree, in determining a sentence. Corrections, on the other hand is forced to accept what is sent to them from the Courts, no discretion at all.
The people of Alabama cannot continue to demand long prison terms without adequate funding to build, maintain, staff and operate additional prisons. This is just the way it is.
Think about what you have read, come up with an opinion as to what incarceration is mean to be and, if you can, decide upon a solution to Alabama’s prison dilemma. We can no longer have our cake and eat it, too.
Many years ago the state legislature was put on notice that, eventually, the present prison crisis would present itself. Nothing was done. Now, there is no time for “putting off.” This eventuality is not a present nightmare that will not go away. Action must be taken and soon. If not, I can for see a Court ordering the release of inmates with dangerous records. The people of Alabama won’t like this but, at the same time, do not consider support of our Department of Corrections a high priority.
SUMMARYOF STATISTICS FOR ALABAMA
Overall number of inmates serving life and life-without-parole sentences: 5,087
Percentage of all lifers who are Black: 65.7
Total number sentenced to life without parole who are Black: 68.2
Total number sentenced to life for crimes as juveniles: 121
Percentage of juveniles sentenced to life who are Black: 84.3
Randy Bell said,
February 20, 2011 at 8:49 am
Where can I get a complete list of Alabama prisnors with “life without parole”?
Thank you,
Randy
lee stricklin said,
April 16, 2011 at 4:02 pm
the very idea that this is even an issue is absurd. we have people in prison for small offenses, like having a small amount of illegal substances on them, in with rapists, mollestors, and murderers…it is we who have our screws crossed! the prison system should be set up to house people that cannot be in society. not people who are good inside. there is a big difference.
Larry Spangler said,
February 15, 2012 at 3:00 pm
We are looking at a way to reduce the recidivism rate and the problem is that no one is willing to take the risks necessary to reduce recidivism and help the inmate not commit any more crimes. We need to leave politics by the wayside and see how much true counseling will help these people before release and true counseling to help them when they are released. When you are parole, the parole officers are just that officers and not counselors or social workers, they really do not know how to figure out the needs of the parolee, the parolee just fills out a form, pays on restitution and the 30.00 dollars per month. The parole officer tells him the negative stuff, and does not say “hey, you did a good job enrolling in school” or “hey, i see you received a speeding ticket, thanks for calling me and letting me know”. There are programs that are out there to help an ex-felon but either they can not help because funds have run out or the office dealing with the ex-felon is just way to busy. There are alot of programs that are intact but it is frustrating to go to them or it is impossible to get there. Felons getting out of prison usually get 10 dollars and a bus ticket. Each prison should have a re-entry program, but not all of the prisons give good information. Also, society should ask themselves, “If I was in that persons position, would I want someone to give me a chance.”. So to say the least, there are many areas we need to work on before we can see the recidivism rate desend, but it is gonna take everyone’s help and not complain about the situation and expect someone else to fix it or be the bad guy. There are ex-felons out there who are trying to make a difference, who are going to school to better themselves, who are working in the community, and many other things that are being done and no one even knows it, because we are so worried that the ex-felon is going to commit another crime instead of encouraging them to continue and be there if they need to talk to someone.