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Ivey’s prison study group recommends spending, anti-recidivism efforts, goes light on sentencing reform

On Thursday the long-awaited policy recommendations of Gov Kay Ivey’s bi-partisan Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy were released, which include suggestions on spending, sentencing reform and recidivism reduction.  The group, formed in July and required to release its recommendations before the Legislative session begins Tuesday, didn’t always agree on every topic up for consideration, … Continued
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January 31, 2020

Report: Cost to operate county jails, sheriff’s departments increased by $93 million since 2014

The Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA) released an updated research publication yesterday showing that the cost to operate county jails and sheriff’s departments statewide increased by $93 million from 2014 to 2019. The research publication, named “Alabama’s Unresolved Inmate Crisis,” was updated from its initial release back in December to include data from … Continued
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January 31, 2020
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Sentencing of former Montgomery cop sends an important message

A former Montgomery police officer was sentenced on Wednesday to 14 years in prison for the killing an unarmed black man.  That is important.  Do not misconstrue what I’m saying, or what I’m going to say, into a statement of joy or satisfaction. There should be none of those feelings, because nothing that happened in … Continued
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January 30, 2020

State closing large part of Holman prison

Montgomery – A large portion of Holman Correctional Facility outside of Atmore is closing because of maintenance problems in a tunnel that carries utilities to those sections, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced Wednesday.   It’s a decision that concerns a U.S. Department of Justice attorney, who is working with state officials to prevent a possible … Continued
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January 29, 2020

Bureau of Pardons and Paroles increases hearings

After months of a reduction in parole hearings for Alabama’s incarcerated, the state Bureau of Pardons and Paroles is ramping up the numbers of those hearings.  In a response to ARP’s questions Monday about how those hearings are set, Bureau spokesman Terry Abbott said that the agency has a target goal of 540 hearings during … Continued
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January 28, 2020

Man dies at Holman prison

A Capshaw man serving at the Holman Correctional Facility near Atmore died Tuesday, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.  APR confirmed that James McClain, 54,  died at the prison and that the cause of death is under investigation pending an autopsy, ADOC said in a statement, adding that foul play isn’t suspected.  McClain’s death … Continued
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January 24, 2020

Chip Brown introduces bill to allow judge to deny bail to violent offenders

Wednesday, State Representative Chip Brown (R – Mobile) and Angela Harris, the mother of Auburn murder victim Aniah Blanchard, were in Montgomery urging legislators to support a proposed Alabama Constitutional amendment that allows prosecutors and judges broader discretion in requesting and denying bail to those accused of committing violent crimes. Section 16 of the 1901 … Continued
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January 23, 2020

Legal filings, evidence, witnesses paint a disturbing picture in fraud case against Coleman Moving Company

In the late-2000s, Scot Dannen, the general manager of a Coleman Worldwide Moving facility in Colorado Springs, Co., was approached by one of the company’s truck drivers and asked an odd question.  The driver wanted to know where Dannen’s “weight crate” was located, according to testimony Dannen provided under oath in a deposition.  Dannen was … Continued
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January 22, 2020