DOC constituent‑services unit reports 2,336 inquiries; coordinator outlines HIPAA, staffing gaps

Stephanie Johnson, the Department of Corrections’ constituent‑services coordinator, told the committee that between July and September her office received 2,336 inquiries (114 duplicates) and that the top five complaint categories were inmate wellness, inmate health, inmate safety, inmate release and facility‑condition concerns.

Johnson said the office’s average completion time for inquiries that quarter was 2 days, 8 hours and 29 minutes and that she wants to reduce that to one day. She said she is filling four vacant liaison positions at Easterling, Limestone, St. Clair and Staton correctional facilities and is working with IT to improve web‑form categorization so general inquiries do not mask substantive issues.

On privacy and health communications, Johnson said the DOC follows HIPAA‑related limits: health services use a Health2C form that asks inmates to designate one contact for medical notifications; health staff can contact that person if the inmate is admitted to a hospital, there is a significant change in condition, or a poor prognosis.

During questioning, lawmakers described reports that inmates or outside actors extort family members, or that guard misconduct is reported but not acted upon. Johnson said liaisons call families, wardens interview reported inmates, and DOC investigators can pull video footage. She acknowledged a small number of inquiries where the inmate has not authorized release to a family contact, saying that investigators still review those submissions but cannot disclose protected information without authorization.

Johnson said the constituent‑services form and guidance are available on the DOC website (www.doc.alabama.gov → Contact Us → Constituent Services). The committee asked for Johnson’s presentation to be provided to the full committee for trend analysis and follow up; Johnson agreed to supply it.