Crime victims’ group opposes medical furlough

A statewide advocacy group is asking crime victims to urge Gov. Bob Riley to veto a bill that allows for the release of terminally ill or incapacitated state inmates.

Victims of Crime and Leniency said it strongly opposes the Alabama Medical Furlough Act. The Alabama Legislature passed the nine-page bill near the end of the recent special session and would become law with the governor’s signature. It would give the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections the discretion to release inmates who “suffer from a chronic life-threatening infirmity, life-threatening illness, or chronic debilitating disease related to aging” or are terminally ill.

“We feel this bill is much too vague and broad, and for this reason, crime victims need more consideration when legislation is introduced that has such traumatic effects on them,” said Miriam Shehane, founder of VOCAL.

Supporters of the bill claim it could save the state as much as $8 million. The Department of Corrections estimates 125 inmates could be eligible for release. It says the cost for caring for the inmates is about $65,000 per inmate per year.

Shehane said releasing the inmates would be a zero sum gain financially.

“How does transferring the cost from the state to the federal government alleviate the cost to the taxpayer?” Shehane said.

Legislation to address the medical furlough of inmates was one of several special requests included in Riley’s call for a special session following the end of the recent regular session. While the primary call concerned passage of the education budget, Riley included 17 other legislation requests.

The bill outlines an application process that can be initiated by the inmate, his attorney, a family member, family physician, or an employee or official of the Department of Corrections. The inmate must sign a release to begin the process. The inmate would be evaluated by a Department of Corrections physician and one other licensed physician, but the commissioner would have the sole discretion as to whether an inmate would be released.

Prisoners convicted of a capital crime or sex-related offense are not eligible. Only prisoners 55 and older would be eligible and prisoners could be sent back to jail if they recovered from their illness.

Rep. Billy Beasley, D-Clayton, offered amendments to exclude inmates convicted of murder of any kind, and to provide for a four-person panel to make the final determination on release. Both were voted down.

The bill passed the Senate 26-4 and the House 52-35. Reps. Locy Baker, D-Abbeville, Benjamin Lewis, R-Dothan, Terry Spicer, D-Elba, and Sen. Jimmy Holley, R-Elba, voted against the bill. Reps. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, Warren Beck, R-Geneva, and Sen. Harri Anne Smith, R-Slocomb, voted in favor of the bill.