ADOC Commissioner Shares Importance of New Strategic Plan

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Could the Alabama Department of Correction’s latest strategic plan, fix a 30 year prison crisis?

ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn talked with Alabama News Network about the issue.

“Right now our facilities are in such disrepair that it’s very difficult to provide any of the services either to our staff or to the inmates to help us address these problems,” said Dunn.

Dunn says focusing in on several key areas over next three years could save the system. Staffing, programming, infrastructure, and culture are the main focus, all tying into the department’s main goal of public safety.

“We want an inmate when they leave – the 95 percent that are with us that are going to leave eventually to be prepared to go back into society as law abiding citizens and not go back into society to commit more crimes and come back,” said Dunn.

Dunn hopes to fill at least 85 percent of corrections officers positions by the year 2022.

“We’ve put a lot of energy and effort into recruiting statewide. Identifying individuals who would want to be candidates for a career in corrections that’s the first thing. Second thing is we’ve made it easier to get a job,” said Dunn.

He says the department has already streamlined the recruitment process, notifying applicants in a few weeks, rather than a few months.

“The numbers of people who are applying for jobs and are displaying interest in jobs is higher than it’s been in the last three or four years,” said Dunn.

Dunn admits that the department’s problem is not a quick fix.  But he says, he is thankful for commitment from the legislature to address the issues.

“Whether it takes the next session or a couple of more sessions, just the staying power to stay in there, stay with it because again-it’s going to take time to fix a 30 year problem,” said Dunn.

To view the Alabama Department’s strategic plan click here. 

There is also a video addressing the plan here.