AL Warden Says His Prison Unsafe Due To Cuts
With more than 2,400 inmates, deteriorating facilities and not enough correctional officers, Alabama’s Limestone Correctional Facility is dangerous to its employees, said prison leaders and state legislators Monday. Report from the Huntsville Times.
“It worries me more than it has in my entire career,” said warden Billy Mitchem. Added state Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Capshaw: “Personally, I think we’re in a crisis.”
Prison leaders toured the prison with legislators and media to help make their case for more money. Mitchem said state budget cuts leave him 35 correctional officers shy of what he needs. He expressed concern for the roughly 200 prison employees who work with or near the inmates each day. “(The cuts) are hurting us because I’m not able to man the security posts the way I should,” Mitchem said. “I want to keep my staff safe. I’m concerned about that.”
Space is tight in many areas of the prison. Rows of bunk beds cover the walking area of one cell block. The L dorm, as it’s called, houses 224 inmates. It’s supposed to hold 152. Some of the L dorm inmates are rapists and murderers, Mitchem said. In another dorm, home to about 400 more inmates, several more bunk beds cover the living area … “(If) you keep jamming inmates in these prisons like we’re doing … somebody’s going to be yelling for help,” said Wallace. “I just hope nobody gets hurt.”