FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Media Contact:
Richie Beyer, Chief Engineer and Operations Officer
334.398.3325
wrbechd@elmoreco.org
Elmore County Commission Addresses Future Closing of Draper Prison
Wetumpka, AL – This morning, we were notified by the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) that Draper Prison will be closed in the near future.
Our first concern was obviously for the dedicated employees of the Draper Facility. ADOC has assured us that all Draper employees will be reassigned, and none will lose his or her job. We have also been assured that all employees will stay in the River Region, and a vast majority will be reassigned to one of the three remaining facilities in Elmore County.
We are encouraged that this move will enhance the safety of the work environment at Staton, Elmore, and Tutwiler. Like every ADOC prison facility in the state, the facilities in Elmore County have been operating with dangerously low staffing levels for some time now. This is not safe for the employees or our community. By moving more staff into the remaining facilities, Elmore county prison employees and residents will benefit from a safer work environment and more secure community.
The prisons are a vital part of Elmore County’s economy, employing hundreds of our citizens and supporting a substantial number of local businesses. The Elmore County Commission will fight to do everything necessary to keep this vital part of our local economy in Elmore County.
The Commission has been heavily engaged with the state as it seeks to meet its pressing prison facility needs. We believe that Elmore County continues to be well positioned to attract a new ADOC prison facility if the state decides to build or lease new prison infrastructure. No county in the state has more well-trained and dedicated ADOC employees. No county has invested more infrastructure to support these facilities. No county has engaged more on this issue at the Capitol and State House than Elmore County.
The Elmore County Commission will continue to work closely with Governor Ivey and ADOC to ensure that this important part of our economy is protected.