Governor Bentley Establishes Council to Implement Prison Reform Legislation

Council Creation is Important Next Step in State’s Overall Prison Reform Efforts

MONTGOMERY—Governor Robert Bentley on Tuesday announced the creation of the Alabama Criminal Justice Oversight and Implementation Council to implement criminal justice reform efforts that passed the Alabama Legislature in the 2015 Regular Session. The council was created by executive order on June 25.

“Alabama’s effort to reform the entire criminal justice system is a top priority for leaders of all three branches of government,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “Thanks to legislation passed in 2015, we currently have significant reform efforts underway in our state. I have created the Alabama Criminal Justice Oversight and Implementation Council to further our efforts toward reducing prison overcrowding and increasing public safety. The Council is an important part of our efforts to make Alabama’s criminal justice system more efficient and effective.”

The Council will collaborate on developing evidence-based policies and guidelines for treatment programs and community correction programs in an effort to reduce recidivism. Members will analyze data reflecting client participation in and treatment services from state-funded programs to ensure performance-based funding. The chairman of the Council will provide oversight and accountability over criminal justice agencies at the state and local level and guide the council’s work on prison reform implementation.

Governor Bentley’s Deputy Legal Advisor, Franklin Johnson, will serve as chairman of the Council. Other members appointed to the council include:

Secretary Spencer Collier, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
Commissioner Jim Perdue, Alabama Department of Mental Health
Commissioner Jeff Dunn, Alabama Department of Corrections
Phil Bryant, Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles
Bennett Wright, Alabama Sentencing Commission
State Representative Mike Jones (R-Andalusia), Chair of the Alabama House Judiciary Committee
State Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster), Chair of the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee

The first meeting of the Alabama Criminal Justice Oversight and Implementation Council is tentatively scheduled for late July. A copy of Executive Order 8 can be found here.

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