I want to take a moment to express how I am feeling this morning. This is something that has been weighing heavily on me since reading this paid advertisement in the Tallassee Tribune last Wednesday.
I do not have a problem with someone disagreeing with me or expressing their freedom of speech. I do however have a problem with people spreading false information and having underlying issues of racism and judgment toward other people.
Let us take a look at this advertisement and absorb the meaning of it. 4,000 inmates near our schools. Has Holtville school ever had a prisoner that has escaped and went into the school and caused harm to anyone? Has Wetumpka school ever had a prisoner from the women’s prison escape and cause harm to anyone at their school? Have the schools in Pike Road ever had anyone from Kilby escape and cause harm to anyone at their schools? I am not aware of anything like this ever happening.
Let’s now address work release inmates near your home. To my knowledge you have to be at a certain custody level to be on work release. There are already work release inmates working at local businesses. Just curious if there was anything I missed in my research that produced no factual information of bodily harm from a work release inmate in recent history.
Questionable visitors to Tallassee? This is the one that got me. Here is the question I have for you. Do you think just because someone made a mistake their entire family is bad? Or is it that most inmates who are incarcerated are African Americans and you don’t want an influx of a minority in your area visiting their loved ones? Good people make mistakes and yes there are some truly evil people incarcerated that need to be kept off the streets. Would you rather them walk amongst you? Some of you need to read Matthew 7 while sitting in church this week. The recidivism rate in Alabama is 31% within the first three years. These new mega prisons will give the inmates 37% more program space to be habilitated and hopefully be productive members of society when released. Guess what? 95% of people incarcerated in Alabama will be released one day. Do you not want them to be a better person mentally and spirituality when they are released into society?
Increased utility rates? If anything, this will help the City of Tallassee not have to increase utility rates as much in the future. Everyone is expected to pay their own operating and maintenance costs. The prison will take a huge burden of the O and M off the residential customers of Tallassee. Why do you think the water board on the other side of the county is fighting so hard for this? Draper closed in 2018 and the Russell factory closed several years ago. That increased their O and M that reduced profits to put back into their system and eventually will have to pass the cost to their customers.
Decrease property values? All the research I have done from university professional scholars and not internet blogs shows a prison has no adverse effects on property values.
It does not matter if you like it or not, it is coming and this administration is going to take full economic advantage of it. We already have people knocking on the door with hotels and people wanting to build houses for the workforce. I have always been and will continue to be transparent. Please do not hesitate to call 334-283-6571 if you have any questions.
Happy Wednesday and I hope everyone has a glorious and blessed day.
Johnny Hammock is mayor of Tallassee.
