Terminally Ill inmates

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—House and Senate committees have approved bills that would allow Alabama prisons to release some terminally ill inmates.

Prisons Commissioner Richard Allen told lawmakers some of the prisoners are so weak they can’t get out of bed, while others are mentally incapacitated and don’t know who they are.

Allen said the measure would affect about 125 to 150 of the prison system’s about 25,000 inmates. He said it costs the system as much as $6 million a year to care for these mostly elderly prisoners.

Inmates convicted of capital crimes or sex offenses would not be eligible for release.

The proposal passed the House Government Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. It was one of the issues Gov. Bob Riley included as priorities for the special session.