Criminal Justice Reform

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

February 4, 2020

Ivey’s prison study group recommends spending, anti-recidivism efforts, goes light on sentencing reform

On Thursday the long-awaited policy recommendations of Gov Kay Ivey’s bi-partisan Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy were released, which include suggestions on spending, sentencing reform and recidivism reduction. The group, formed in July and required to release its recommendations before the Legislative session begins Tuesday, didn’t always agree on every topic up for consideration, … Continued

January 31, 2020

Governor’s Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy yields positive recommendations

It should come as no surprise, that our state is in need of serious criminal justice reform. In July, Governor Kay Ivey established a Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy, and it has been an honor to serve as chair and her representative on her behalf as we seek solutions for the complex issues facing … Continued

January 31, 2020

DeMarco misses the point of recent ACLU report

Paul DeMarco wrote a letter to the editor dated January 13, 2020, in which he responded to a recent report by the Campaign for Smart Justice with ACLU of Alabama. The report analyzed 5 years-worth of data and projected a spike in Alabama’s already overcrowded prison population in 2020, mostly due to the parole board … Continued

January 30, 2020

Man dies at Holman prison

A Capshaw man serving at the Holman Correctional Facility near Atmore died Tuesday, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. APR confirmed that James McClain, 54, died at the prison and that the cause of death is under investigation pending an autopsy, ADOC said in a statement, adding that foul play isn’t suspected. McClain’s death … Continued

January 24, 2020

Lawsuits over 2016 raid at Holman prison allege guards beat handcuffed prisoners

At 6:35 A.M. on the morning of Nov. 9, 2016, approximately 39 correctional officers wearing riot gear, some carrying firearms, entered the Bravo dormitory at the Holman Correctional facility near Atmore. What happened in the moments that followed resulted in 16 civil lawsuits filed by incarcerated men who say officers used batons and fists on … Continued

January 23, 2020

Alabama Appleseed gets NFL grant for criminal justice reform work

An Alabama nonprofit is one of six social justice organizations to have recently received a grant from the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative. The Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice in Montgomery was selected by a joint group of NFL players and owners to receive one of the grants, which the nonprofit will use toward … Continued

January 14, 2020

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

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

December 24, 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

December 12, 2019