Make Alabama Better

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Guest Opinion by Pat Bishop SR., J.D., Major, U.S. Army (Retired)

For whatever reason, candidates for office, speak of the term "common-sense". I often hear about it, but I don't see a lot of it. From a military thought standpoint, I have concluded, common-sense is not as common as it used to be!

My focus, as a non-politician, on common-sense leadership as Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, in the context of Alabama's 2026 political landscape, rallies around the following themes, drawing on issues highlighted in recent conversations with the people of Alabama:

Fiscal Responsibility: I will emphasize the elimination of wasteful spending, ensuring government efficiency, and safeguarding Alabama taxpayer dollars.

Economic Growth:  I will use basic common-sense in advocating for policies that support business, attract investments, and provide job opportunities for Alabamians, such as the recent overtime tax exemption bill.

Practical Solutions over Ideology: I pledge to use basic common-sense to focus on practical, non-ideological, common-sense solutions to press issues like infrastructure, healthcare, and education, rather than engaging in "political games" or "shallow fluff" as politicians do.

Public Safety and Immigration: I promise to use basic common-sense to take a strong stance on law and order, to support securing the southern border, and in addressing criminal justice reform.

Accountability and Transparency: I promise to use basic common-sense to make state government more transparent and responsive to the needs of the people, ensuring elected officials are accountable to their constituents.

Conservative Values: I will use basic common-sense in focusing on individual freedoms, limited government interference, and alignment with common-sense servants of the people.

Opportunity and Quality of Life:  My "common-sense" focuses more on raising the quality of life for working families, improving healthcare, and using revenue streams like a state lottery to fund education. As an abolitionist, because mental and penal slavery does still exist, I will use basic common-sense to stop the continued recidivism of people who can stay out of Alabama prisons.

It's just not that hard to find a solution. The hard part is keeping career politicians from serving themselves instead of the people who put them in office. They want to build huge prisons, have a personal investment in those, and then fill the prisons up with people for a profit. That is absolutely asinine.

So, people of Alabama, choose right. You can vote for someone just because they have "name recognition", just because they have "more money" that can buy the election, just because they have been in Montgomery for a long time (part of the problem). If you continue to vote for these chess moves, Alabama will remain a prison state with no lottery for education due to being too busy sending our money to the lottery of bordering states, remain billions of dollars in debt, remain a state with serious road issues, remain a state with record a number of homicides and  remain a state dead last in everything except football!

You have a common-sense choice. You should vote for Major Pat Bishop. Someone who does not care about the political reindeer games.  Vote for a
26-year military combat veteran who will fight for veterans and first responders. Vote for a man who positions himself as "a man of action" rather than a traditional politician. Vote for a man who knows that there is no "correcting" being done in the Alabama Department of Corrections, except wide-spread corruption. Even the officers who work in the prison system have described the corruption and violence in Alabama DOC. Here are some key issues I researched and found with ADOC, by the numbers, as we say in military terms:

1. Rampant Violence and Deaths: Alabama's men's prisons have one of the highest homicide rates in the country, eight times the national average. Over 1,000 people have died in Alabama prisons since the DOJ's initial 2019 report. Incarcerated individuals face a high risk of physical and sexual abuse from both other prisoners and staff.

2. Severe Understaffing: A persistent problem is the low number of correctional officers, which leads to inadequate supervision and an environment "rife with violence". In 2023, nearly 30% of security positions were vacant.

3. Overcrowding: The prison system has struggled with overcrowding for decades, which contributes significantly to the violence and poor conditions. Projections indicate that the prison population could rise by nearly a third by 2030 due to new punitive laws.

4. Contraband and Corruption: Drugs, weapons, and cell phones are widely available inside the prisons, often smuggled in by staff members. At least 38 ADOC staff members were arrested for contraband-related offenses in 2024.

5. Inadequate Conditions and Healthcare: Facilities are often dilapidated, with issues like mold, roaches, and non-functioning locks. Access to adequate healthcare has also been an ongoing issue, which was particularly life-threatening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. Excessive Force and Lack of Accountability: There have been numerous reports and lawsuits alleging excessive force by officers. Taxpayers have spent over $57 million since 2020 to settle lawsuits related to officer misconduct and class-action cases, yet critics argue there is a lack of accountability and proper investigation into these incidents.

The state, in it's wisdom, has initiated plans to build new prisons. This is done while arguing that modern facilities will improve safety and conditions. However, myself and various others, contend that new buildings alone will not (now or ever) solve the systemic problems of management deficiencies, culture, and understaffing.

I have argued and advocated for "common-sense" reforms such as:

1. Improving staff recruitment and retention through higher standards, not just higher pay.

2. Installing and monitoring video cameras.

3. Increasing availability of addiction treatment and other programming.

4. Requiring autopsies for all who die in custody and improving public reporting on deaths and violence.

The ongoing crisis in ADOC has gained national attention through news reports, federal lawsuits, and a recent HBO documentary titled "The Alabama Solution", which used smuggled footage from incarcerated people to expose the conditions inside. Where are the "corrections"?

The sad part about this is, the politicians that people continue to send to Montgomery don't care about these issues until one of two things happen. Either one of their loved ones are affected by it or it's election time!

Democrats and Republicans have different stances on key policy issues, which has led to significant political polarization and mutual distrust in the United States. These differences often stem from fundamental disagreements about the role and size of government, social values, and the best way to approach various national challenges. The best way to solve our issues is to use basic common-sense.

Many have asked at meetings, speaking engagements and on social media, "Major Bishop, how can I help?" The answer is easy, start showing strength by getting the word out to stop what is going on in the state by electing someone who is not afraid of anyone but God! 

Together we CAN DO IT! Push for Pat's election. Be heard. Reach out before too late! Let's go out and Make Alabama Better (MAB)!

I love you Alabama! Roll Tiger!

Pat Bishop SR., J.D.
Major, U.S. Army (Retired)

Pat Bishop is a a military veteran, law enforcement officer, mediator, antiterrorism expert, Christian, husband and father. He is currently seeking the office of Lt. Governor of Alabama. For more information on Bishop, visit his campaign website or follow him on social media.

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