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criminal justice

Public safety

Letter to lawmakers: Repeal Alabama’s Habitual Felony Offender Act

165 former judges and prosecutors, professors and public defenders signed on in support of Rep. Chris England's bill to repeal HFOA.
February 22, 2021

DA defends imprisonment of disabled vet for marijuana charges

West Alabama District Attorney Andy Hamlin defended the court decision to revoke Sean Worsley’s probation, sending the Black disabled veteran to state prison for 60 months on felony marijuana charges. Hamlin spoke to APR in a phone interview about the case. Sean Worsley is a Black disabled veteran who was arrested on felony marijuana charges … Continued
July 17, 2020

House passes bill for electronic monitoring of prisoners on work release

The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would subject prisoners on work release to electronic monitoring. House Bill 151 was sponsored by State Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne. “I’m glad to see support for this legislation coming from both sides of the aisle,” Simpson said. “I think this again highlights that this bill … Continued
March 11, 2020

Parole hearings in Alabama will resume today after a two month suspension of hearings

Monday, State Pardons and Paroles director Judge Charlie Graddick said at a news conference that he speaks for the public by encouraging that actions taken regarding violent offenders be reviewed very carefully. “Foremost, inmates do not have an innate right to be paroled, they must earn such a privilege,” Graddick told reporters. “Parole consideration dates … Continued
November 5, 2019

Ivey proposes smart on crime solutions to state prison problems

Alabama’s aging and dangerous prisons have been a topic of legislative discussion for 30 years with little accomplishment. If Gov. Kay Ivey succeeds in building three new men’s facilities, it will amount to a generational change in how the state addresses inmate detention. By focusing primarily on the initiative’s price tag, many critics and temperate … Continued
February 20, 2019

DAs can make the difference

Alabamians are ready to see a broken criminal justice system fixed, and it’s time to let those sitting in the most powerful position know it — our District Attorneys (DAs). District Attorneys are the lead prosecutors in counties across the state, but what voters may not realize is that the District Attorney wields an incredible … Continued
November 1, 2018

Alabama Arise sets Medicaid expansion, end to grocery tax as priorities

Arise Alabama, a liberal-leaning statewide non-partisan group that works to better policy for low-income individuals, chose Medicaid expansion and working to end the state grocery tax as two of its top policy priorities going into the general election season and ahead of next year’s legislative session. More than 200 Arise members chose those priorities and … Continued
September 14, 2018

Amid Investigations, Lawsuits, Bentley Appoints New Finance Director

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—After a Federal audit of the State’s Finance Department, which has yet to be made public, Governor Robert Bentley announced, on Friday, that Clinton Carter, the State’s Deputy Finance Director, will step up to serve as the new State Finance Director. After serving for nearly three years as the … Continued
October 4, 2016

Shelby and Sessions Both Object to Obama Releasing Dangerous Criminals

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Both US Senators from Alabama, Richard Shelby (R) and Jeff Sessions (R), expressed objections to President Obama’s commutations of sentences for a number of federal offenders. On Wednesday, August 3, Senator Richard Shelby said in a statement, “President Obama announced today that he has granted 214 sentence commutations to … Continued
August 8, 2016