Fairfield City Jail in Alabama was forced to release “three or four” non-violent prisoners after the facility ran out of food. Unable to ensure the basic well-being of the prisoners in his charge, police chief Leon Davis decided to let the prisoners walk free.
The Fairfield city Mayor, Kenneth Coachman, supported the move, noting the criminals were all guilty of minor misdemeanors and the jail facilities were in bad repair.
Those guilty of more serious crimes were sent to the nearby Jefferson County Jail, and will not be receiving any sort of reprieve.
The funding shortage came about when local council President Darnell Garner failed to sign a prepared check.
Chief Davis quickly warned would-be criminals that his jail would be back in business as soon as funds are received to provide meals. Indeed, with the local City Council struggling to put together the necessary funds, an anonymous donor stepped in. Fairfield City Jail is now back in operation.
The costs of incarcerating people, which can cost as much as $60,000 per year (and in some cases, a lot more), is becoming a major strain on America’s government, both local and national.
America’s prison population has been steadily rising since the 1970s. In 1973, the federal and state prisons held 200,000 people. By 2009 that number hand to 1.5 million people.
In 1973, the United States population weighed in at 212 million people and had risen to just over 320 million by 2015. Thus, the growth of America’s prison population has far outstripped the growth of America’s population.
