Eastern Shore “Halfway” House Under Fire

By Pat Peterson Reporter

Published: Thu, November 29, 2007 - 5:38 pm

Pat Peterson

Authorities say a man who brutally attacked and robbed a Daphne woman while she walked home from work was a federal prisoner at a Spanish Fort halfway house. Investigators charged Bernard Adams with 1st degree robbery in connection with the attack on the woman in Lake Forest earlier this month. Authorities say Adams was a prisoner at the Mobile Community Service Center on the Causeway when the crime was committed.

This isn't the first time the halfway house, operated by Keeton Corrections, has come under fire. Three years ago, local residents protested an expansion project at the facility and the location of the halfway house.

"With this latest event, we're all concerned," says Daphne residet Cathy Faison. "Nobody wants one of these places near them. People that are housed in these facilities are usually repeat offenders."

News 5 tried to contact Keeton Corrections, but nobody returned our phone calls. We were told the manager of Keeton was at lunch and at a business seminar until next week.

We were able to reach the owner of the Causeway property where the halfway house is located. Businessman Pat Mcaleer says Keeton Corrections has been a good tenant.

"We've never had any problems out of them," says Mcaleer. "There's never been anything negative coming from them since they've been our tenants."