With regard to the Montgomery Advertiser's December 13th editorial "Frustrated judge seeks solution," I would like to suggest that the Honorable William A. Shashy's compromise ruling to increase prisoner transfers from 175 to 275 per week solves nothing. This order will only contribute to the problem of overcrowding.

Shashy's ruling lacks insight, creativity and courage and represents a pandering to the whims of whining, bickering and money grubbing lawyers at tax payer's expense. Had the honorable judge gone out on a limb and put some teeth into his ruling, a constructive solution could have been offered as in the following suggested order:

"Having read the pleadings of both parties on the issue of overcrowding, it is hereby Ordered that tent housing be used to provide an economic, safe and secure alternative shelter for inmates in State of Alabama correctional facilities and that the state accept for transfer all county prisoners as soon as such alternative tent housing is constructed."

Other states have used disaster relief, military style house tents to safely shelter prisoners. These style tents have long been used by the National Guard. They consist of large canvas tents erected upon concrete slab, asphalt or clay floors supported by wooden frames. Such tents can comfortably accommodate 18-24 people who sleep on cots. One hundred house tents could easily accommodate 1,800 to 2,400 inmates, and provide adequate housing for the 1,700 prisoners back logged in county jails.

If tent cities are good enough for inmates in Arizona, if they are good enough for our fathers who used them in the military and National Guard, then certainly they are good enough for convicted felons. But to order the transfer of hundreds of prisoners without ordering that measures be taken to alleviate the overcrowding is unjust and inhumane!

Tent houses would provide a quick, economical solution to the prison overcrowding problem. I urge the honorable William Shashy to order inmates be transferred and housed in tents to immediately and humanely alleviate the overcrowding problem in Alabama prisons.

Certainly once said order is made the Legislature can come up with the funds necessary to build and construct tent housing for inmates. Given convicts could provide the labor, the only cost would be for materials. This would be a drop in the bucket compaired to the huge sums spent to build Hilton style prison hotels.

Sincerely,
Terry Lynch
Date: 13 December, 2002

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