County Commission | The Magazine January February 2018 | Page 36

FROM THE COVER
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36 | COUNTY COMMISSION
Foundation Principle
Alabama’s prison system
faces a crisis not unlike the
Alabama’s
Prisons and
County Jails
e
Opposition to any economic
development legislation or
programs that mandate the
expenditure of county
revenues or abate county
taxes without county
commission consent.
Strategic Goals
In furtherance of this
Foundation Principle, the
Association will actively pursue the
passage of legislation to accomplish
the following strategic goals:
• To clarify that persons
on parole, probation or
participants in
diversion programs
are legally and
financially state
inmates for all
purposes even
when held for
temporary
confinement
in the county
jail or awaiting
hearing or transfer
•
Opposition to the withdrawal
or diversion of money currently
earmarked for Alabama Trust
Fund.
•
To amend
Alabama law to
limit the medical
service costs for an
individual in county
custody at an amount not
exceeding Alabama’s Medicaid
rates and fees.
•
to a state facility.
Legislative Policy
In addition to its strategic goals,
the Association has adopted the
following legislative policy consistent
with this Foundation Principle:
• Support for legislation to
establish an application process
for granting tax credits and tax
abatements for the expansion
of high speed internet
broadband services to the
underserved unincorporated
areas of counties with county
commission consent for any
local tax abatements.
crisis duplicated
on daily basis
in each of the
67 county jails.
The watchful
eye of the federal
courts, the never-
ending expense of providing jail
services, the growing costs of
health care and the training and
compensation for officers presents
a challenge well beyond the reach
of a county commission devoid of
revenue- generating powers. On
the other hand, an efficient local
law enforcement agency and jail
is necessary to maintain order
and to ensure the safety of all
Alabamians. The Association is
gravely concerned that all reform
efforts, statutory changes or
administrative rules be considered
only in light of direct, indirect
and unintended consequences
generated at the county level.
To shift 20 percent of the
corpus and future oil lease
and royalty payments of the
Alabama Trust Fund into
the County and Municipal
Government Trust Fund
which would thereafter operate
as a separately-maintained
Trust Fund for counties and
municipalities.
•
Legislative Policy
In addition to its strategic goals,
the Association has adopted the
following legislative policy consistent
with this Foundation Principle:
• Opposition to requiring
mandatory training for sheriffs,
sheriffs’ deputies, or other
county employees without
county commission approval.
• Opposition to any prison
reform implementation
activities that significantly
increase costs of or create
unsafe conditions in the
county jail.
• Support for any legislation
necessary to correct any
consequences of prison reform
implementation that negatively
impact the operation of the
county jail.
• Opposition to pleading down
Class D Felonies for the
purposes of convicted persons
serving time in county jails.
• Support for providing that
non-indigents serving sentences
in the county jail be required
to pay a portion of the cost
of incarceration, including
medical expenses.