Once Alabama prison officials work out how to most effectively use video surveillance for security, Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women could be "a model for the country," a national consultant said recently. Consultants from The Moss Group led camera management training at the prison, where reports have outlined allegations of sexual abuse, violence, and inadequate medical care.

The criminal justice consulting firm has worked with state prison officials ever since an 18-month contract was finalized in April.

Through the partnership, they aim to address the needs of female inmates and ensure that Tutwiler adheres to federal law.

Tutwiler staff members –some who have worked at the prison for just a few years, others as much as two decades– and other Alabama Department of Corrections employees attended the training, led by Moss Group founder Andie Moss and consultant Jim Dennis.

Both said they have seen similar issues at facilities around the U.S. "I’ve been in other systems with a lot of attention on them," Moss said. "While it’s painful to go through this process with so much attention put on one institution, it gives you the opportunity to really come up as a leader."

More than 300 video surveillance cameras have been installed at Tutwiler, and officials expect 24/7 camera surveillance operations to start very soon.

Wendy Williams, the deputy commissioner for Women’s Services, said the system already has aided in several investigations of various incidents, not just sexual misconduct. […]