Governor Announces Plan to Build Three Prisons for Men

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2019/02/Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:841;s:6:"height";i:561;s:4:"file";s:49:"2019/02/Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM.png";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-336x224.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-771x514.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-768x512.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:47:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-600x338.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-600x561.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:561;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-466x311.png";s:5:"width";i:466;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-397x265.png";s:5:"width";i:397;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-600x561.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:561;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"Screen_Shot_2019-02-12_at_11.59.05_AM-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}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:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:11:{s:4:"full";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:839996;s:14:"optimized_size";i:229466;s:7:"percent";d:72.68;}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:120:"The size medium is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:119:"The size large is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:35959;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12240;s:7:"percent";d:65.96;}s:12:"medium_large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:126:"The size medium_large is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:13249;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4925;s:7:"percent";d:62.83;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:309463;s:14:"optimized_size";i:103891;s:7:"percent";d:66.43;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:520135;s:14:"optimized_size";i:169900;s:7:"percent";d:67.34;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:132:"The size wbhm-featured-home is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:136:"The size wbhm-featured-carousel is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:29219;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10141;s:7:"percent";d:65.29;}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1748021;s:14:"optimized_size";i:530563;s:7:"percent";d:69.65;}}
        )

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

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

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Southern Poverty Law Center
        )

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

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

)
1644304488 
1549975957

Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday a plan to replace existing prisons with three new regional men’s prisons. The move is to address persistent issues of “violence, poor living conditions and mental illness” in Alabama’s corrections system, according to a statement from the governor.

The Department of Corrections (DOC) has said existing correctional facilities, which are overcrowded and aging, need $750 million in maintenance. The governor says repairing them would be “wasteful and ineffective.”

Ivey says the Department of Corrections will soon seek proposals from outside contractors to build three facilities. One prison will be reserved for “special needs populations,” including those with mental health issues. She says officials will have a better estimate of the project’s cost once they receive proposals. According to AL.com, DOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn says the project could cost around $900 million.

Some have criticized the governor’s plan as too costly. In response, Ivey says it is necessary for public safety and to prevent federal intervention. Alabama has been under federal court order since 2017 to increase mental health staffing at its prisons.

“The investment in these new facilities will also ensure that we retain control of our correctional system,” she says in the statement.

Ivey’s plan acknowledges the need for improved staffing and retention rates. She says in the upcoming legislative session, her budget proposal will include $31 million to hire prison employees and increase salaries. Last year, an additional $86 million was appropriated to contract medical and mental health workers and reduce turnover.

The governor’s announcement comes the day after a federal judge ruled that the DOC is “deliberately indifferent” in monitoring the mental health of prisoners isolated in segregation units. It was the latest development in a lawsuit that the SPLC and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program filed in 2014.

 

Trump plans to name himself chair of Kennedy Center, fire board members

The president announced Friday that he would remove multiple board members, including the Chairman, who do not share his vision for a "Golden Age in Arts and Culture."

Musk’s team takes control of key systems at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the latest target of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

Trump says he is revoking Biden’s security clearances

Former presidents are historically given intelligence briefings after leaving office. But Trump said he was following precedent set by Biden four years ago, when Biden revoked Trump's access.

What’s Trump’s beef with South Africa?

Trump has accused South Africa of "human rights violations" and a land grab. The South African government has hit back.

Trump administration pauses $3 billion marked for electric vehicle charging stations

The Federal Highway Administration said the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program is under review. It was part of the Biden administration's clean energy push.

Judge pauses Trump order to put USAID employees on administrative leave

The case, brought by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees was intended to block the administration's efforts to dismantle USAID.

More Front Page Coverage