Public safety

Montgomery Bail Out Fund to set nine free from jails to commemorate Juneteenth

Nine people being held in jails in Montgomery and Autauga counties are to be released today, bailed out by a group in honor of Juneteenth, a commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S. The Montgomery Bail Out Fund, a group of Montgomery attorneys, teachers, activists and advocates, is partnering with the Movement for … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 19, 2020

Alabama correctional officer, inmate sentenced on drug, gun charges

A former correctional officer and an inmate at Fountain Correctional Facility were sentenced to prison earlier this month after being convicted of charges related to a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the Alabama prison. Wiggins Washington, 52, of Bay Minette, the correctional officer, was sentenced to seven years on charges of possessing a gun and … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 16, 2020

Fourth Alabama inmate dies with COVID-19, 13 others from same prison test positive

A fourth person serving in an Alabama prison has died after testing positive for COVID-19, and 13 other inmates housed in an infirmary with the man have also since tested positive for the virus, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced Monday. Robert Stewart, 80, who was serving at Staton Correctional Facility died at a local … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 15, 2020

Third inmate dies after testing positive for COVID-19

An 80-year-old man serving a life sentence at the St. Clair Correctional Facility died this morning after testing positive for COVID-19. Clarence Shepherd died in the medical isolation area in St. Clair prison, according to a press release from the Alabama Department of Corrections. Shepherd is the third state inmate to have died after testing … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 12, 2020

Six inmates at Kilby prison die from illnesses in less than two weeks

In just under two weeks, six inmates at the overcrowded Kilby Correctional facility recently died from illnesses, the Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed for APR on Friday. Just one of the men was tested for COVID-19, and the test came back negative before his death, ADOC spokeswoman Samantha Rose said in a message Friday. “Please … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 12, 2020

Jefferson County DA asks for new trial for man sentenced to death

Jefferson County’s district attorney today has asked for a new trial for a man serving on Alabama’s death row, convicted of the shooting death of Jefferson County deputy William Hardy decades ago. And he’s not alone in that request. The lead prosecutor who convicted Toforest Johnson of shooting Jefferson County deputy William Hardy in 1995 is … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 12, 2020

Report: Alabama is global leader in trafficking gamecocks

Our ancestors domesticated the wild jungle fowl, the ancestor of the modern chicken, sometime before 2,000 B.C. By 450 B.C. cockfighting was a major sport in ancient Rome. In Alabama, cockfighting remains a major sport even though it was outlawed here as early as 1896. On Thursday, Animal Wellness Action and the Animal Wellness Foundation … Continued

Brandon Moseley

June 12, 2020

County commissions association calls for plan on backlog of state inmates held in jails

The Association of County Commissions of Alabama on Wednesday released a statement applauding Gov. Kay Ivey’s emergency proclamation Tuesday, meant to address the transfer of inmates from county jails to state prison facilities amid the COVID-19 crisis. The association also calls on the Alabama Department of Corrections to draft a plan to address a backlog … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 10, 2020

Three more prison workers test positive for COVID-19

Three additional Alabama prison workers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total of active confirmed cases among staff to 75. The Alabama Department of Correction on Tuesday announced the latest confirmed cases among staff, including a worker at the Staton Correctional Facility, one worker at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women and one at … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 10, 2020

Montgomery police to adopt #8cantwait policies

The way law enforcement in Alabama’s capital city police citizens is about to change. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley announced on Tuesday that MPD will enter the national #8cantwait initiative, which puts forth eight policies meant to reduce hostile police interactions and shootings. “I along with Chief Ernest Finley believe … Continued

Josh Moon

June 9, 2020