Alabama prisons

News

Alabama Representative: “There’s nobody in our State prisons just for marijuana.”

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Representative Phillip Pettus (R-Killen) said there were zero people in Alabama’s prison system for solely marijuana during a committee meeting. Pettus’ comments came during a House Judicial Committee Meeting on Wednesday during a public hearing for a new bill that would make possessing 1 ounce or less of marijuana a … Continued

March 20, 2017

Committee meeting turns hostile after Representative accuses opponent of making “racist” comments

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Former Alabama Rep. Richard Laird was asked to leave and not come back on Wednesday by Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) after making a comment about the prison population in Alabama during a committee meeting. A public hearing was held in the House Judiciary Committee on a new bill concerning Marijuana … Continued

March 16, 2017

Senate passes bill allowing release of prisoners for medical reasons

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter The Alabama Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow the release of prisoners under certain medical conditions. The bill would require the Department of Corrections to publish an annual list of inmates that have been in an infirmary or in a physician’s care for more than 30 days. From … Continued

March 15, 2017

Smart on Crime: Maria Morris with SPLC, Part One

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY–”Those of us who regularly think about the prison system in Alabama, realize it is pretty much broken,” says Maria Morris. Morris serves as managing attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Alabama office where she guides education and juvenile justice reform efforts in the state. Morris says that … Continued

June 12, 2012