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SPLC says resuming federal executions is a step in the wrong direction

Attorney General Bill Barr has directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to clear the way for the federal government to resume capital punishment. The attorney general has further directed the acting director of the BOP, Hugh Hurwitz, to schedule the executions of five death-row inmates convicted of murdering children and the elderly. While the state … Continued
July 26, 2019

Merrill: SPLC criticism is an inaccurate representation of Alabama’s voter laws

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill responded Thursday to a recent op-ed published in the Montgomery Advertiser written by Nancy Abudu from the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center. “An article published Monday morning by Nancy Abudu presented readers with an inaccurate representation of Alabama’s voter laws and the ways in which the Alabama Secretary of … Continued
June 14, 2019

Southern Poverty Law Center announces new Voting Rights Team, criticizes state for discouraging voters

The Southern Poverty Law Center released a statement announcing their new Voting Rights Team and encouraging the state of Alabama to increase voter turnout by ending practices that discourage voters, like requiring voter identification and marking voters as inactive in the state’s voter rolls. The new Voting Rights Team will challenge laws and practices that … Continued
June 14, 2019

House passes bill to reform Pardons and Paroles Board

The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to reform the much-maligned Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. House Bill 380 is sponsored by State Rep. Connie Rowe, R-Jasper. Rowe is a retired police chief. The bill creates a director of pardons and paroles who is appointed by the governor and codifies the … Continued
May 10, 2019

Court says Alabama isn’t doing enough to protect prisoners from suicide

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama has ruled that Alabama’s Department of Corrections must immediately begin a set of measures to address suicide prevention in the state’s prisons. The court ruled that ADOC frequently fails to comply with previous court orders and their own policies related to suicide prevention and solitary … Continued
May 6, 2019

Reverse recidivism rate

Recidivism rate is the tendency of a criminal to commit a crime and return to prison. This is one of those areas where fuzzy math drives you crazy getting to the facts. According to the National Institute of Justice, 68 percent of 405,000 prisoners released in 30 states in 2005 were arrested for a new … Continued
April 29, 2019

SPLC hires new president, CEO after tumult over cofounder’s firing

The Southern Poverty Law Center has appointed an interim president and CEO as it plans to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent leader. The SPLC’s board of directors voted unanimously to name Karen Baynes-Dunning as the civil rights legal group’s interim president, according to the board’s chair. Her appointment comes after the departures of … Continued
April 3, 2019
Roy Moore speaks to reporters and supporters

Moore says that it is “about time” for the SPLC shakeup

On Friday, Richard Cohen resigned as President from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) where he has worked for the last 33 years. A week ago Cohen fired SPLC co-founder Morris Dees, for undisclosed accusations of misconduct. Also on Friday, Rhonda Brownstein, SPLC’s legal director, also resigned. Richard Cohen and the SPLC despised former Chief … Continued
March 25, 2019

Richard Cohen resigns from the Southern Poverty Law Center

The President of the Montgomery based Southern Poverty Law Center, Richard Cohen, announced that he is resigning amidst a growing scandal and allegations surrounding the nonprofit group. Cohen has been with the group since 1986. The LA Times obtained an email to staff from Cohen in which he announced: “Whatever problems exist at the SPLC … Continued
March 23, 2019