Jeff Dunn

By Samuel Mattison Alabama Political Reporter A Senate committee passed a supplement to the General Fund Wednesday that appropriates an additional $30 million for the Department of Correction in their ongoing dilemma to raise standards of mental health and prisoner health care. The Senate Committee on Taxation General Fund approved the measure yesterday after chairman … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter As 2017 comes to a close we reflect on the year in Alabama politics.  2017 was a remarkable year in Alabama politics.  For many of the most powerful figures in Alabama politics, it was a disastrous 2017, as the political situation was turned on its head. No governor in Alabama … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey spoke to the Workforce Development Council meeting in Montgomery. Afterward, the governor spoke to the Capital Press. Gov. Ivey said that since she was elevated to the governorship, unemployment has dropped from 5.4 percent to just 3.8 percent – the lowest number in the … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, May 30, 2017, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) announced that a task force investigation had led to the arrest of five prison employees at Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore County for conspiracy to smuggle in contraband. Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said in a statement, “After … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Wednesday, March 1, 2017, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on Governor Robert Bentley’s controversial plan to borrow $800 millions in bonds in order to build four massive new prisons. Senate Bill 70 is being sponsored in the Senate by Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster). Sen. Ward said, … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY — The Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery-based civil rights legal organization, doesn’t believe Gov. Robert Bentley’s plan to build four new prisons to replace Alabama’s aging corrections infrastructure solves the State’s underlying problems. Bentley and Corrections Commissioner Jefferson Dunn plan to push for the Prison Transformation Initiative again during … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Harvard College medical ethicists filed a brief this month with the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit outlining an argument in support of Thomas Arthur, a 74-year-old death row inmate facing execution at Holman Correctional Facility Nov. 3. As part of an appeal, the Court requested Arthur and … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Governor Robert Bentley wants to float $800 million in bonds to build new prisons. Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Commissioner, Jeff Dunn wants that, too. Some State Senators believe Bentley and Dunn are using the recent prison violence as a way to gin up support for their plan. They … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Politcal Reporter MONTGOMERY—The battle: Design-build vs State-Law-mandated Design-bid-build, for the $800 million prison project has become so contentious, that Gov. Robert Bentley is reportedly ready to kill the whole project if the contract for construction is not awarded under Design-build, rather than the traditional bid process. Gov. Bentley’s office has refused … Continued