MONTGOMERY, AL (WAFF) -
A plan to
reduce Alabama's overcrowded prison population received mixed reviews.
Senate Bill
386 aimed to reduce sentences for non-violent offenders who are behind bars for
drug or lower-end property crimes.
Some in
law enforcement want those who belong behind bars stay behind bars.
Limestone
County Representative Dan Williams voted for the House version of the bill.
"I
just hope we can find way to get people rehabilitated rather than sentencing
them to jail," said Williams.
Williams
said the bill, in part, was passed to help ease state budget problems. Limestone
County Sheriff Mike Blakely said if more of those convicted don't spend as much
time in prison, his office could spend more time and money in the future arresting
habitual offenders.
"I'm
not necessarily saying lock them up and throw away the key," said Blakely. "But
I am saying it's ludicrous when we start talking about releasing people that's
in prison to make you think like, ‘oh, they got a terrible tough sentence,'
when that's the rarity. That's not the norm. People who go to prison have had
chance after chance after chance. (...) If you come by my house and steal my
riding lawn mower and you steal my car-you do things like that-I think there
could be some way that you could be punished, that you could make reparation to
me without necessarily going to jail and laying on your butt watching TV and me
paying for it."
Blakely
said he does not think the law will lead to an exodus of state prisoners onto
the streets.
The
sentencing commission is made up of law enforcement leaders, district attorneys
and victim's advocates.
The
commission's sentencing recommendations will go before lawmakers in October
2013 and lawmakers must adopt the changes.
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