According to Alabama Department of Corrections records, there has been an increase of 1,267 inmates in state prisons between May 2004 and May of this year. Prison Commissioner Donal Campbell doesn't expect the influx to slow up anytime soon.

"I don't know what would trigger that to happen," said Campbell regarding a slowdown in inmate population growth.

As of May, there were 27,732 inmates in state custody, pushing the prison system to 200 percent of its design capacity.

Karen Carr, a Tuskegee resident and former state inmate, characterized prison conditions as "just uncomfortable."

Carr, convicted of robbery, served time at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka from 1999 until last year. She said inmates got little time to eat or be seen by doctors.

"You're never by yourself. You can never have a moment alone," she said.

Tutwiler is operating under a federal court order stemming from a 2002 class-action lawsuit and is required to keep a maximum inmate population of 700 at the largely nonair-conditioned facility. According to Campbell, Tutwiler is staying below the 700 limit by housing about 260 inmates at a Louisiana facility.

As late as October, the prison system was seeing inmate reductions thanks to a special accelerated parole docket for nonviolent offenders. In that month, the prison population was reduced by 253 inmates overall, but that's the last time the population went down.

In November, the total number of inmates grew by 414, the biggest single-month jump since.

"I think it's important that we have the resources to deal with this problem," said Jeff Emerson, a spokesman for Gov. Bob Riley. Emerson characterized the accelerated parole docket as a temporary solution.

In April, the governor appointed an 11-person task force made up of legislators, educators and others to work on the problem. The task force is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. today in the Judicial Building, 300 Dexter Ave.

Meanwhile, people like Prattville resident Sam Shippen watch Alabama's inmate population grow.