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Bentley’s Plan to Borrow $800 million for Prisons

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter On Monday, December 19, 2016 Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) told the ‘Montgomery Advertiser’s Bryan Lyman that he was considering having a special session within the 2017 regular session to force the legislature to consider his controversial plan to build new prisons on credit. Gov. Bentley told Lyman, “That … Continued
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December 22, 2016

Prison mental health lawsuit moves forward as class action

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter A federal judge ruled Friday that a lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center against the Alabama Department of Corrections can move forward as a class-action lawsuit. US District Judge Myron Thompson ruled that the case, which alleges that Alabama prisoners have been denied mental health care, can … Continued
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November 29, 2016

Zeigler opposes $800 million no-bid contract to build prisons

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Politcal Reporter Thursday, November 17, 2016, Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler (R) said that he opposes Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s (R) plan to borrow $800 million or more to build new prisons in an anticipated January special session. Auditor Zeigler said, “Gov. Bentley is threatening a $400,000 special session to push … Continued
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November 21, 2016

Justice Department Launches Investigation into Alabama Prison System

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter On Thursday, October 6, 2016, the US Justice Department opened an investigation into Alabama’s overcrowded and underfunded Department of Corrections. Governor Robert Bentley said that he welcomed the investigation. Gov. Bentley said in a statement, “I welcome an investigation by the Department of Justice into Alabama’s prisons. We both … Continued
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October 7, 2016
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Bentley Wants His Prisons

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter In an Op-Ed at al.com, Gov. Robert Bentley signaled, that he may call a Special Session to try, once again, to pass an $800 million prison construction project. Bentley said, the massive spending project failed because, “We simply ran out of time in this Regular Legislative Session to finally … Continued
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May 10, 2016

What Prison Reform Means in Alabama

By Stephen Cooper Working as an Assistant Federal Defender in Alabama for three years, I visited many state prisons.  More often than not, the conditions I observed my incarcerated clients in were deplorable.  Sadly, when I raised red flags of concern with officials, shoulders shrugged — folks just did not care.  Instead, at each turn … Continued
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April 12, 2016

Senate Passes Bentley’s Prison Bill

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, April 5, the Alabama Senate passed Alabama Governor Robert Bentley’s (R) controversial plan to close sixteen prison and borrow $800 million to build four new prisons. Governor Bentley released a statement on the Senate Passage of his Great State 2019 initiative, the Alabama Prison Transformation Initiative Act. Governor … Continued
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April 6, 2016

Prisons Want $18 Million Budget Increase

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter On Tuesday, January 12, the joint House and Senate Committees on the long troubled State General Fund (SGF). The first state agency to testify was the Department of Corrections. Corrections is asking the legislature for an $18 million increase in their 2017 fiscal year budget. Alabama Department of Corrections … Continued
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January 18, 2016

Bentley Tells Congress that Prison Reform Hinges Upon Adequate Funding

By Brandon MoseleyAlabama Political Reporter On Tuesday, July 14 Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to highlight Alabama’s prison reform efforts.  While touting the state’s progress towards reforming the Corrections System in Alabama, Gov. Bentley told the Committee that, “The success of the Prison Reform Bill hinges … Continued
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July 15, 2015

US Department of Justice Awards $21.6 Million Grant to Alabama

By Byron Shehee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—US Middle District of Alabama Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. announced on Monday, that The US Department of Justice has awarded $21.6 million in grant money to Alabama agencies and municipalities. “We must make sure our law enforcement officers and service providers have all the tool necessary to vigorously … Continued
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January 27, 2015