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Graddick orders all pardons and parole hearings scheduled for next week cancelled

Friday, the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles has cancelled more than 100 hearings set for next week because new Director Charlie Graddick says that the prior administration failed to perform due diligence to meet requirements set forth under a new state law passed in May regarding notifications to victims and witnesses. Director Charlie Graddick, … Continued
September 6, 2019

Key man behind bid for Alabama prisons tied to controversial private prison operations, lawsuits

One of the companies vying for millions in taxpayer dollars to build Alabama’s new prisons is owned by the ousted former CEO of one of the other four companies in the running.  That man, Tennessee businessman Doctor Robert Crants Jr., was also involved in a recent lawsuit connected to a privately owned and operated prison … Continued
September 4, 2019

Police: Alabama teen confesses to killing five family members

A 14-year-old Alabama boy has confessed to shooting and killing five family members in their home in North Alabama, the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office said early Tuesday morning. The sheriff’s office said they responded to a shooting Monday night at about 10:30 p.m. on Ridge Road in Elkmont, Alabama, a small town of less than … Continued
September 3, 2019

Arrests over contraband at Bibb Correctional Facility follow sweeps at others

Four people are charged in connection with illegal contraband at the Bibb Correctional Facility.  The four were arrested on Aug. 21 after correctional officers at the medium-custody facility found three packages with contraband.   Alabama Department of Corrections officers used police dogs to track the route the suspects took, and found an additional suitcase, duffle bag … Continued
August 29, 2019

Lawmakers respond to safety concerns at Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s office places the responsibility for handling safety concerns at the Taylor Hardin Medical Facility largely on the back of the state Department of Mental Health, but said Ivey will continue to “engage” with the department.  Still other state lawmakers and an advocacy group have said that what’s happening at the Taylor … Continued
August 27, 2019

Limestone County sheriff indicted on 13 counts of theft, ethics charges.

Limestone County Sheriff Michael Blakely was arrested on Wednesday after being indicted on 13 theft and ethics charges.  Blakely is charged with four separate counts of theft from his campaign account that total $11,000. Additionally, he’s charged with five counts of theft or ethics charges for stealing money from Limestone County funds, including from the … Continued
August 23, 2019

Marshall announces attorney Billy Underwood has pleaded guilty to jury tampering

Wednesday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) announced that Colbert County attorney William “Billy” Underwood pleaded guilty to jury tampering rather than continuing with a trial that began earlier in the morning. Underwood was sentenced to serve four months in jail. He was further required to permanently surrender his license to practice law in the … Continued
August 22, 2019

“Alarming, concerning and appalling:” Taylor Hardin facility staff worried over safety for patients, workers

Workers at the Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility said in a 2018 survey that they are overworked in an unsafe environment with inoperable video cameras, contraband, racial and gender discrimination and unreported incidents.  Those concerns are valid, and there are worries that conditions at the Taylor Hardin facility in Tuscaloosa have continued to deteriorate in … Continued
August 21, 2019

SPLC releases special report claiming that Alabama’s Community Corrections system is flawed

Thursday, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released a special report that claims that Alabama’s community corrections pay-to-play model prioritizes making money over rehabilitation or public safety. The report, titled “Opportunity Costs: Unequal Justice in Alabama’s Community Corrections Programs,” is the first in a series analyzing what the SPLC sees as serious flaws within Alabama’s … Continued
August 16, 2019