Alabama prison system

Prisons

LWVAL commends steps toward prison reform in Alabama

The League of Women Voters praised a newly negotiated pilot program aimed at improving oversight and safety in state correctional facilities.

March 18, 2026

Dramatic clouds behind barbed wire fence on a prison wall

Contract Review Committee OKs $800,000 for legal services in prison brutality lawsuits

Lawmakers approved four contracts totalling $800,000 to hire legal representation for Department of Corrections employees in lawsuits alleging brutality.

February 6, 2026

Work release programs depress wages at Hyundai suppliers, study suggests

The Columbia Labor Lab study appears to show increasing plants’ share of incarcerated workers reduces the wages of free workers.

November 7, 2025

Incarcerated man at St. Clair Correctional Facility dies in hospice care

Charles Eugene Fortenberry, 74, who was serving a life sentence, died in hospice care Sunday.

September 8, 2022

“Love Without Parole” documentary tells story of Alabamian released from prison

Michael Schumacher was released from prison after 36 years thanks to the help of Alabama Appleseed, and finally was able to marry the love of his life.

August 10, 2022

Former Alabama correctional officer sentenced to prison for beating prisoner

A federal judge sentenced Ulysses Oliver Jr., 47, a former Alabama Department of Corrections Sergeant, to 30 months in prison.

April 11, 2022

Governor appoints former State Trooper to Board of Pardons and Paroles

Darryl Littleton, former State Trooper traffic homicide investigator, plans to use those skills in hearings.

July 11, 2021

The underlying problems of Alabama prisons are evident in the Lett case

"A war veteran had his bond revoked because of a paperwork error. The callous handling of it sums up Alabama's awful corrections system."

April 5, 2021

House passes bill to create oversight of costly contracts

The bill would create a committee tasked with reviewing executive branch contracts of $10 million or more.

March 3, 2021

Private prison company eyes Elmore County land for one of state’s new prisons

Editor’s note: The story was updated Feb. 12, 2020, to reflect that the private company Corvias has also pulled out of the procurement process. The private prison company CoreCivic for more than two years has been eying land just outside the city of Tallassee in Elmore county to build one of Alabama’s planned three new … Continued

February 11, 2020