VIDEO: Women’s Correctional Facility Has 40 Job Positions Eliminated And More Could Be On The Way

ALICEVILLE, Al. (WCBI)- A nationwide move to cut six thousand jobs in the Federal Prison system is being felt close to home.

At least 40 of the positions being cut are at The Women’s Federal Correctional Institution in Aliceville, Alabama.

“I mean that’s definitely going to have an impact and it’s something that is concerning to me as a resident in this community,” said John Russell IV, longtime resident.

The correctional facility is a big economic driver in the area.

“Ever since that prison has opened up out there, there’s been obviously countless jobs that have opened up,” said Russell. “Personally I’ve had a family member who’s been hired on out there and it’s impacted my family and this community.”

Russell said he knows how much of a blow it is to the community now that 40 job positions are being cut from the facility, which is why he, like several other residents, was disappointed to find out the news.

“That certainly would be concerning as a citizen because those individuals are not going to be here to use our, again what Aliceville has to offer which is really something really good,” the longtime resident said.

“That’s not 40 people who are jobless but that’s 40 positions that they cannot hire for,” said Terrence Windham, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Union. “So how that kind of directly affects everyone is people on the outside that we’re looking to hire in, or people that want to move up that are already inside won’t have that opportunity for growth.”

Windham said the decision comes as a result of the Department of Justice cutting the budget for all federal prisons.

“The cuts that the they made backed us up about 14 percent but don’t how deep they’re trying to go with those cuts,” Windham expressed.

Out of the 40 job cuts, more than half of them are correctional officer positions.

Windham said the cuts could prove to be dangerous because it’ll mean fewer workers watching over the 1400 inmates.

“Losing those 40 jobs it’s going to mean that there is an increase in the ability for us to respond adequately to problems that go on in the institution, there is going to be an increase in things that we can’t really see as far as the response time, and just putting us in a dangerous position.” Windham explained. “The inmates know hey, they have a decrease in number now, so if there was a time to attack this is the time.”

Windham said more cuts could be on the way.

Next month President Trump is expected to send his proposed budget to members of congress.

However, the union president is encouraging residents to get in contact with congressional leaders in an effort to get them to oppose the budget and prevent more jobs from being cut.

At this time it’s unclear if workers facing layoffs will be allowed to transfer to other facilities.