ADOC women’s facilities host ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new playgrounds
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Playground at Tutwiler Women’s Facility.
Special to the News
The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) is pleased to announce the completion of two playgrounds intended to enhance visitation for incarcerated mothers and their children at two residential facilities.
Ribbon-cutting ceremonies will be held on Friday, October 25, at Julia Tutwiler Women’s Facility in Wetumpka at 9 a.m. and Montgomery Women’s Facility at 10:30 a.m.
The playgrounds were made possible by a grant ADOC received from the Office of Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs and U.S. Department of Justice (grant # 15PJDP-21-GG-02757-COIP).
After almost three years of planning and completing a bid process, local contractor, Hercules Inc., was selected to work with the department to plan for the playground design and installation.
Hercules representative Jessica Hoagland said, “The playgrounds are a huge advancement for the facilities. They will provide a bonding experience and safe area for the children during visitation. The playgrounds were carefully chosen to ensure sensory stimulation, learning and safety were at the forefront of the vision.”
ADOC Deputy Commissioner of Women’s Services Operations Dr. Elizabeth Mautz said, “To our knowledge, these two playgrounds are the only playgrounds behind a fence in the nation. We are excited to see this dream come to fruition.”
The playgrounds were installed in September of this year with rubber safety surfacing, two primary playground units and freestanding sensory panels. Both playgrounds are estimated to last for years and hopefully will inspire other states to incorporate family function into their recreational areas.
Commissioner John Q. Hamm said, “The addition of this equipment will definitely enhance the visitation experience for the inmates and their children. Keeping family bonds strong during incarceration is important for future family success.”