Mass Incarceration

The bills increased penalties for individual behavior, expanded the reach of law enforcement, and "would add to the state's already dire prison crisis."

In Alabama, 26 percent of inmates are serving life with or without parole or sentences of at least 50 years.

It is evident that Gov. Kay Ivey is determined to build three new men’s correctional facilities. Ivey’s move is not without controversy, but after decades of half-measures and inaction, her administration is facing the problem head-on. And that alone is a first for Alabama. When Alabama’s state prisons were built, they served two primary purposes; … Continued

In 2016, together with former colleague Assistant Federal Public Defender Donnie W. Bethel, I wrote, “[p]eople of all persuasions, political parties, and philosophies have awakened to the terrible toll the crises of overcriminalization and mass incarceration have wrought on America.” Then, a year later, highlighting the “criminalization of addiction,” I wrote about Benny King – one of Bethel’s clients – … Continued

The U.S.’s first memorial dedicated to those terrorized by lynchings, the legacy of enslaved black people and African-Americans who faced the terror of the Jim Crow era is set to open in Montgomery next week. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which will also be dedicated to people of color who face contemporary police brutality … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter In Alabama, even when a jury recommends someone only receive life in prison, a trial judge in a capital murder case can ignore that recommendation and impose the death penalty. Sen. Dick Brewbaker (R-Montgomery) wants to change this practice, known as “judicial override.” “The US Supreme Court has made … Continued

By Donnie W. Bethel and Stephen A. Cooper People of all persuasions, political parties, and philosophies have awakened to the terrible toll the crises of overcriminalization and mass incarceration have wrought on America. Perhaps, as reported by The New York Times, Judge Raymond J. Dearie of the Federal District Court in Brooklyn has now voiced … Continued