Public safety

News / Health / Public safety

Parole hearings can’t resume any quicker due to state law, bureau says

After Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday issued an order for parole hearings to resume and the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles announced hearings would restart May 18, some worried that it was too long to wait amid the COVID-19 crisis. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, in a Tuesday morning tweet urged the bureau to hold hearings … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 14, 2020

Gov. Ivey orders parole hearings to safely resume during COVID-19 outbreak

Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday issued an order for parole hearings to resume after the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles suspended hearings last month amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Bureau in a statement Monday said hearings are to resume the week of May 18. The month-long delay before hearings resume has worries some who say … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 13, 2020

Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles officer tests positive for COVID-19

An officer with the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the bureau. The officer is self-quarantining at his home, the bureau said in a statement Monday. “The men and women who are out in the field doing this vital work to protect the people of Alabama while helping … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 13, 2020

Mobile County jail inmates, officers test positive for COVID-19

The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office says six inmates at the county jail and even more correctional officers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to WKRG, which broke the story on Thursday. Attempts to reach the sheriff’s office’s public information officer wasn’t immediately successful Thursday, but WKRG reported that the sheriff’s office confirmed that 6 inmates … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 9, 2020

Pardons and Paroles: Restarting parole hearings “under review” amid COVID-19 crisis

The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles is reviewing the possibility of restarting parole hearings through virtual means during the COVID-19 crisis, a bureau spokesman said Thursday. Terry Abbott, spokesman for the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, in a message to APR said that both a Wednesday report by the ACLU of Alabama on a … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 9, 2020

Deadline extended for Alabama prison bids due to coronavirus

Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced that because of the COVID-19, she’s giving a two-week deadline extension for submission of proposals to build then lease three new prisons to the state. Those proposals had been due by April 30 but the two developer teams – Alabama Prison Transformation Partners and CoreCivic – will have until … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 7, 2020

Public defender working to free some inmates in Birmingham jail amid COVID-19 crisis

At least five people in the Jefferson County Jail had their paroles revoked after serving time in state prisons for non-violent crimes, and as the threat of COVID-19 inside jails and prisons increases, some are working to get them out before it’s too late. The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles told APR on Tuesday, … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 7, 2020

Alabama inmate killed by another inmate at Ventress Correctional

A Birmingham man serving at Ventress Correctional Facility in Clayton was killed by another inmate, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. Dennis Benson, 40, who was serving a 36-month sentence for possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property, died March 30 after being attacked by another inmate, ADOC said in a statement. … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 31, 2020

Attorney general partners with Facebook to stop price-gouging

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Friday announced a partnership with Facebook to address price-gouging on the social media site by people looking to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic. “There is no question that unscrupulous operators are trying to take advantage of Alabamians looking to buy basic necessities to protect and sustain themselves and their … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 27, 2020

Families, advocates ask Alabama to release at-risk inmates amid COVID-19 outbreak

When Amber Faircloth learned Thursday of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in an Alabama prison, she worried that her husband, who has cancer, could be in jeopardy. Her husband, who’s serving time at Limestone prison, is one of more than 1,000 inmates most at risk of serious complications or death if the virus spreads … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 21, 2020