Hundreds denied parole as Alabama’s COVID-19 crisis worsens
White people in Alabama prisons were 2.6 times more likely to be paroled than Black people during the month of June, according to the SPLC.
Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles
Alabama prisons releasing some inmates early amid COVID-19 outbreak
Updated at 12 p.m. to include responses from the Alabama Department of Corrections. The Alabama Department of Corrections has automated the process of releasing early some inmates convicted of nonviolent offenses and who are nearing the end of their sentences, according to a department document obtained by APR. ADOC’s decision to automate the process by … Continued
ACLU of Alabama calls for more paroles during COVID-19 crisis
The ACLU of Alabama on Tuesday called on the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles to begin releasing inmates amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles (ABPP) on Tuesday held the bureau’s first parole hearings since the COVID-19 crisis began, and denied parole for 20 out of the 22 eligible people. … Continued
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
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
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
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
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
Violent crimes focus of Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles public information
The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles since November sent messages in tweets and press releases about those convicted of violent crimes, and nearly nothing on non-violent offenders seeking paroles. Since parole hearings resumed that month the tone of the Bureau’s social media posts changed from informational to something much closer to fear-mongering, full of … Continued
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