Zeigler: Send Prisoners Away From Alabama to Ease Overcrowding

| February 3, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/05/WireCoils-e1591821201572.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1697;s:6:"height";i:954;s:4:"file";s:36:"2014/05/WireCoils-e1591821201572.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-771x433.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:433;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-768x432.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:37:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-1536x863.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:863;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-553x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"WireCoils-e1591821201572-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Dan Carsen
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1047801;s:14:"optimized_size";i:927154;s:7:"percent";d:11.51;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:49:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WireCoils.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:1043675;s:14:"optimized_size";i:923033;s:7:"percent";d:11.56;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/05/WireCoils-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:4126;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4121;s:7:"percent";d:0.12;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:10:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1697;s:6:"height";i:1017;s:4:"file";s:13:"WireCoils.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-336x201.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:201;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-771x462.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:462;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"WireCoils-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-519x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:519;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-442x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:442;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"WireCoils-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => A chainlink fence with coiled wire outside Julia Tutwiler prison in Alabama.
        )

)
1667782206 
1454516117
A chainlink fence with coiled wire outside Julia Tutwiler prison in Alabama.

A view from outside Julia Tutwiler Prison, Wetumpka, Alabama.

Dan Carsen, WBHM

In an unusual move, the Alabama GOP asked one of their own to offer a response to Republican Governor Robert Bentley’s State of the State address.

Bentley isn’t doing enough to save taxpayers money. That was the core message of state auditor Jim Zeigler’s rebuttal of the governor’s State of the State address. Zeigler offered a few ideas, including this one: instead of building “four-star prison hotels”, ease overcrowding by letting prisoners volunteer to move at least two states away and get jobs.

“I think they would be lining up for early release under the voluntary relocation,” Zeigler says.

In exchange, those once incarcerated in Alabama agree never to return to the state. Zeigler says plenty of employers in states that need unskilled labor such as California and Alaska would be willing to take on these prisoners.  Bentley plans to begin consolidating and closing prisons within the year.

 

Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue

Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.

Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book

Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.

Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games

The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.

In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out

Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.

‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat

Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.

Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers

While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home? 

More Front Page Coverage