Alabama Department of Corrections

State releases some prison staffing figures, argues for use of lesser-trained correctional officers

The Alabama Department of Corrections in a recent court filing Friday argues that a new form of correctional officer being hired to staff Alabama’s understaffed, deadly prisons are up to the task. The Southern Poverty Law Center – the plaintiff in the lawsuit – and the federal judge overseeing the case, have both expressed concern … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

December 27, 2019

Prison reform group asks for observers on prison commissioner’s task force on violence

A group advocating for prison reform in Alabama on Friday asked that external observers be placed on a newly formed task force meant to address inmate-on-inmate violence and alleged excessive use of force by correctional officers. The request comes after a particularly deadly month, and year, in Alabama prisons. Alabamians for Fair Justice, a coalition … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

December 24, 2019

Two Alabama prison inmates die on same day, bringing yearly total to at least 27

Two inmates in Alabama prisons died on the same day, Dec. 10, APR was able to confirm with the Alabama Department of Corrections on Thursday. Those deaths bring the total number of Alabama prisoners who died in 2019 as a result of murder, drug overdoses or suicides to at least 27. Brandon Ladd, 31, was … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

December 20, 2019

Company vying to build Alabama’s prisons seeks foreign funding as most U.S. firms cut ties

One of the two private prison companies vying to build Alabama’s new prisons is looking to a Japanese Bank for financing after many U.S. banks have cut ties with businesses that detain immigrants and run for-profit prisons. Tennessee-based CoreCivic, one of four companies that Gov. Kay Ivey’s office in November announced will move forward in … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

December 19, 2019

Federal judge concerned over prison staffing, undertrained fill-ins

A federal judge last week pressed attorneys representing the Alabama Department of Corrections about staffing problems that the plaintiff’s attorneys argued may run afoul of a court order to increase correctional officers in the state’s overcrowded, understaffed prisons. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson in the Dec. 6 hearing, first reported by Alabama Daily News, asked … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

December 12, 2019

Two officers on leave after Alabama inmate death

Too little, too late, advocates for criminal justice reform say to promises for reform by the Alabama Department of Corrections following a second inmate death at the hands of correctional officers in three months. The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) released a statement on Tuesday announcing that 55-year-old inmate Michael Smith of Fairfield was pronounced … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

December 11, 2019

McCutcheon says that legislature will address rural healthcare

Wednesday, Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) told a gathering of the Alabama County Commissioners Association in Auburn that the Alabama legislature will likely work on addressing rural healthcare in the 2020 legislative session. McCutcheon said that the legislature is “Working on rural healthcare,” and is looking at rural clinics. “We need to provide … Continued

Brandon Moseley

December 10, 2019

McCutcheon: Brick and mortar will be part of state’s prison reform

Thursday, Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) spoke to the Alabama Association of County Commissioners about the prison crisis and told them that “Construction is going to be on the table.” “When you look at the facilities, some of them are so old that it is not cost productive to put money in to … Continued

Brandon Moseley

December 6, 2019

Another prisoner is dead inside an Alabama prison

Alabama Department of Corrections officials are investigating yet another inmate death. Correctional officers at the Easterling Correctional Facility in Clio found inmate Rubin Hayes, 54, unconscious in his cell on Nov. 24, according to an ADOC press release that was sent out on Wednesday, 10 days after Hayes’ death. The release from ADOC says Hayes … Continued

Josh Moon

December 5, 2019

State announces final four companies vying to build Alabama’s new prisons

Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced the names of the four companies selected to move forward in a plan to build three new prisons. Those four companies will move on to the request for proposal stage, each vying to build one or more of the three prisons, which the state has estimated will cost around … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 27, 2019