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Alabamians for Fair Justice calls for major criminal justice reforms

Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh have said that lawmakers will address state prisons in the coming Legislative Session. It is not certain whether the Legislature will consider criminal justice reforms as a part of an overall solution to prison overcrowding, but Alabamians for Fair Justice (AFJ) … Continued

Bill Britt

January 15, 2020

Alabama Appleseed gets NFL grant for criminal justice reform work

An Alabama nonprofit is one of six social justice organizations to have recently received a grant from the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative. The Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice in Montgomery was selected by a joint group of NFL players and owners to receive one of the grants, which the nonprofit will use toward … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

January 14, 2020

Alabama Department of Corrections investigating death at Holman prison

A man serving at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility died nine days into the new year, according to a statement from the Alabama Department of Corrections. Antonio Bell, 29, was pronounced dead at the Escambia County prison on Jan 9, according to the statement. “Bell’s cause of death is pending a full autopsy. ADOC’s … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

January 13, 2020

Holman prison inmate killed in December, at least 14th prison homicide in 2019.

A Montgomery man serving in Holman prison in December became the last person to be killed inside Alabama prisons after being assaulted by another inmate the day before, the Alabama Department of Corrections said in a statement Tuesday. APR confirmed that Moses Robinson, 38, died on Dec. 31 from injuries he received at the prison … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

January 8, 2020

State not hiring nearly enough prison correctional officers to meet court order, according to court filing

In a court filing Friday an attorneys for plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections highlighted how few correctional officers the state has hired since a federal judge ordered at least 2,000 more be sent to work inside the state’s deadly, overcrowded prisons. The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), in a statement … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

January 7, 2020

ACLU of Alabama report: Parole reductions to worsen prison overcrowded in 2020

A report released Monday predicts that in 2020 Alabama’s deadly, overcrowded prisons, already under threat of a federal takeover, will become even more crowded, largely due to a dramatic reduction in the number of paroles being granted. The report, published by the Campaign for Smart Justice with the ACLU of Alabama, predicts that the state … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

January 7, 2020

Continued calls for external observers on “internal task force” on prison violence

External observers should be included on an “internal task force” formed in December to address deadly violence inside Alabama prisons, according to a criminal justice professor, who reinforced an earlier request from a group of prison reform advocates. David Rembert is a research fellow at the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University, an … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

January 3, 2020

After Texas church shooting, Alabama Attorney General offers guidance on church security

After a church shooting in Texas, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has offered guidance on Alabama’s Stand-Your-Ground law and urged churches to take safety measures. On Sunday morning, a gunman opened fire at the West Freeway Church of Christ in West Settlement, Texas, killing two people in attendance. The shooter was identified as 43-year-old Keith … Continued

Jessa Reid Bolling

January 3, 2020

Change in Alabama car insurance law took effect Jan. 1

Alabama drivers who take to the roads without insurance now get a break, thanks to a change in state law that took effect Jan. 1. If a person is caught driving without insurance a second time within three years under the new law they can be fined $400 and asked to provide proof of insurance. … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

January 2, 2020

APR’s top five stories of 2019

The year was busy for journalists across the state, and it was no different at APR, where reporters dug into the biggest stories of 2019 to give readers a glimpse at what was happening behind closed doors. From a broken prison system to an unpopular toll bridge project that ran out of pavement, here’s a … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

December 30, 2019