State Removing Inmates From Private Prison After Escape

Alabama's Department of Corrections will remove about 250 inmates from the private prison where two men recently escaped amid a string of security failures.

By: Jamie Burch | WKRG-TV
Published: June 08, 2009

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's prison commissioner says the
state will remove about 250 inmates from the private prison where
two men recently escaped amid a string of security failures.

But Corrections Commissioner Richard Allen said Monday that
money - not the threat of additional escapes - was behind the
decision.

Joshua Southwick and Ashton Mink escaped May 25. Mink's sister and his wife allegedly helped them escape. All four were arrested Saturday in North Dakota after a nearly 14-hour

In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Allen said his
agency can't afford to continue housing 250 inmates at the Perry
County Detention Center.

An executive at LCS Corrections Inc., which runs the prison,
said he knew of the state's plan. But he said the company was told
the state could place twice as many inmates at the private prison
next year if lawmakers approve funding.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)