As localities around the state grapple with increasing crime, lawmakers are looking at ways the legislature can assist those localities. Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood has some suggestions.
During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," Blackwood argued that more prisons and prosecutors would help combat crime. He also noted the funding disparity in his office's budget and indigent defense.
"If I were granted my wish list, I think we need more prisons in Alabama," he said. "Right now, there's not a lot of prison space. Over 80% of the people who are in prison are in for horribly violent offenses. We need more space there. We also need more prosecutors. I was able to get some additional funding from the city and the county to hire a few more prosecutors. That's one of the big reasons that I've been able to work through the backlog that we had."
"But if you look at the American Bar Association standards for the number of cases that any attorney should be handling and the types of cases that we handle, the heavy lifting that we have to do, I'd probably need double the number of prosecutors if we were to have a truly efficient justice system," Blackwood continued. "I think that's a problem across the state, especially in the larger jurisdictions. But I'm a state agency. I get about a little over $2 million of funding from the state. I make up for the rest of it locally. You look at indigent defense, and the state, just in Mobile County alone, pays over $7 or $8 million for indigent defense. So it seems like that indigent defense is funded way more than prosecutors are. And I think that's something that needs a really serious look at the state level — you know, fully funding prosecutor offices."
Additionally, Blackwood urged state policymakers to consider a truth-in-sentencing approach that does not undermine the statutory punishment for some crimes.
"Well, I think truth and sentencing need to be pushed," he said. "We have sentencing guidelines that were pushed on to prosecutors about 15-20 years ago. You've got the 13A as our criminal code. You've got the statute that gives you the range of punishment for felonies and misdemeanors. Then they push these sentencing guidelines that are presumptive in drug cases and property cases, and then they're voluntary for violent crime offenses. But generally, sentencing guidelines, the sentences are much less than what they would be under the statute. And then to make matters worse, the rules and the laws on parole allow offenders to get out early. So we may get a sentence of 15, 20 years for certain offenses, but they're going to be out in a matter of a handful of years because we don't have truth in sentencing. That's something that's been promised to us ever since these sentencing guidelines came out and it has not happened as of yet."
Jeff Poor is the editor in chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
