SB93 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Roger Bedford, Jr.

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Corrections Department, contract with a county commission to establish regional detention facility to house state and county offenders, authorized, design, construction, maintenance, operation, contract period and fee, sheriff to manage and provide work for offenders

Summary

SB93 would let the Department of Corrections partner with a county to build and run a regional detention facility that houses both state and county offenders, with the county sheriff managing operations and offender labor under ACA standards.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill creates a framework for the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of a regional detention facility. It allows the DOC to contract with a county to house up to 300 state offenders and up to 50 county offenders, with the county sheriff responsible for day-to-day management and care of the inmates. The contract would set a per-day fee for state offenders, include a possible inflation adjustment, require ACA and constitutional standards to be met, and enable the sheriff to coordinate offender work programs and manage related funds and canteen operations.

Who It Affects

• State offenders and the Department of Corrections would see state offenders housed in a county facility with the state paying a per-day fee and the state retaining medical care responsibilities as required by law.
• County government and the sheriff would be responsible for managing the facility, supervising offenders, and implementing work programs; they would receive compensation, manage offender labor funds (including an Offender Compensation Fund and canteen funds), and coordinate labor for political subdivisions with reimbursement for some costs.

Key Provisions

• Allows the Department of Corrections to contract with a county to design, construct, operate, and maintain a regional detention facility housing up to 300 adult male state offenders and up to 50 adult male county offenders.
• Facility must be designed and operated to American Correctional Association standards and comply with constitutional requirements.
• Contract may not exceed 20 years; DOC may pay a per-day fee for each state offender; contract may include a 3% annual inflation increase; state retains medical care responsibility for state offenders as required by law.
• Sheriff of the hosting county is responsible for management and care of housed offenders and is subject to DOC direction; sheriff receives statutory compensation.
• Sheriff may establish work programs for offenders; offender compensation and reimbursement for free labor used by political subdivisions are provided; creates an Offender Compensation Fund and canteen funds for offender welfare.
• Allows housing of pretrial detainees and other county offenders; all housing must meet ACA standards; can extend contract up to five years in disaster emergencies.
• Act provides supplemental authority to existing laws on offender labor and work programs and outlines funding and governance related to the facility.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Corrections Department