By Mike Sherman Montgomery Advertiser

A Senate appropriation bill that will pay for efforts to reduce crowding in Alabama prisons won final passage in the House on Tuesday.

The bill will give the Department of Corrections $2.7 million in emergency funding to reduce overcrowding at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women to comply with a federal court order to reduce the prison population. That money would be used to move female inmates to out-of-state prisons, probably in Louisiana.

The bill also provides an additional $975,000 that would fund new and existing community corrections programs, and $900,000 for additional beds within department facilities. That money would come from the sale of prison land in Atmore. It would help the state meet a separate state court order to take state inmates from county jails.

"It is very necessary for the state to comply with the court orders," said Sen. Hinton Mitchem, D-Albertville, sponsor of the bill.

Brian Corbett, a Corrections Department spokesman, said prisons statewide are at 203 percent capacity.

Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, sponsored similar legislation in the House. He wants women to be moved out of Alabama only as a last resort.

"The prison system has a burden to explore every option to house prisoners in the state," said Knight.

Corbett said the department wants to keep inmates in the state, "but we are exploring alternatives."

Lucia Penland, director of the Alabama Prison Project, a prison advocacy organization, said prisoners who maintain close relationships with their families return to prison less often than those who do not.

"If they are two states away, that will not be possible," she said.

Charles T. Gipson, a Prattville resident, said, "I feel Alabama should keep prisoners in state and put them to work and give them something to do."

Gov. Riley welcomed passage of the legislation but said the additional funding "is by no means a magic elixir that will fix all that ails our prison system."

State Finance Director Drayton Nabers earlier released $1 million to the Board of Pardons and Paroles to hire 28 probation officers and expedite diversion of 750 inmates from the corrections system.

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