Prisons

Governor officially calls special session to address prison crisis

The proclamation calls for prison construction and renovation, and consideration of two reform bills that failed to pass during the last legislative session.

September 23, 2021

Special session on prison construction to begin Monday

The state is being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice over Alabama's deadly prisons.

September 22, 2021

Alabama House minority leader: No support for new prisons without other reforms

The DOJ says new prisons alone won't solve Alabama's crisis. Republicans need Democratic support to pass a prison construction bill.

September 20, 2021

Ivey tells lawmakers she’ll set special session for prison construction

The special session is set for Sept. 27.

September 17, 2021

Manslaughter charges dropped for former Alabama correctional officer, prisoner

Billy Smith died in 2017 after being beaten at Elmore Correctional Facility. The state charged both a prisoner and a guard for the death.

September 10, 2021

Alabama lawmakers to mull prison construction with price tag unclear

The proposal calls for building two new prisons for men, one women's prison, renovations to several others and the closure of four prisons.

September 8, 2021

Alabama law students support new trial for man on death row

The students are joined by the prosecutor in the man's trial, former Attorney General Bill Baxley and others in asking for a new trial.

September 7, 2021

Report: Alabama legislation likely to worsen state’s prison crisis

ACLU of Alabama's "Statehouse-to-Prison Pipeline" report found that 53 of 139 bills that would worsen the crisis passed last session.

August 25, 2021

Alabama prisons record 203 more COVID-19 positive among incarcerated

Asymptomatic testing at Elmore Correctional Facility found 191 cases among incarcerated men.

August 18, 2021

Alabama correctional officer stabbed by incarcerated man

Alabama and the Alabama Department of Corrections are being sued by the DOJ over violence inside the state's prisons for men.

July 28, 2021