Category: Alabama Prisons
Alabama, Mississippi Among U.S. Leaders for Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences, Study Shows
A youth sentencing study shows Alabama and Mississippi are among just four states that top the nation in new juvenile life without parole sentences since 2012. Read more.
A Books-to-Prisons Program Creates Connection Behind Bars
Alabama’s Prison Population Sees Troubling Growth in Latest DOJ Report
For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. prison populations are trending up. Alabama’s numbers are a part of troubling gains across the Gulf South. Read more.
After Botched Executions, Alabama Will Try Lethal Injection Again
Alabama paused executions for three months after the state failed to execute two men and took more than three hours to kill another man. Now, after an internal review and a rule change, prison officials will resume the procedure. Read more.
New Data Show How Often Alabama Uses Solitary Confinement
Survey numbers from 2021 show that roughly five percent of people in Alabama’s prisons are housed in isolation for at least 22 hours a day for 15 days or more. Read more.
Was Joe Nathan James’ Execution ‘Botched?’ One Reporter Attended an Independent Autopsy
It took three hours for the state of Alabama to execute Joe Nathan James Jr. last month. The state autopsy won’t be available for months. One reporter conducted an independent autopsy. Read more.
Expert Says Inadequate Staffing Is Driving Deaths in Prisons Across the Gulf South
An expert explains how issues from staffing to healthcare to climate change have contributed to a recent rise in deaths in prisons across the Gulf South. In Alabama, at least 22 people have died while incarcerated at the Donaldson Correctional Facility alone. Read more.
Lawsuit Aims to Block Alabama From Using COVID Relief Funds on Prison Project
The U.S. Treasury said prison construction is a “generally ineligible” use of American Rescue Plan funds, but has not intervened in Alabama’s plans. Read more.
WBHM Kicks Off 7-Part Podcast on Alabama and Mississippi’s Prison Crises
WBHM’s Mary Scott Hodgin Talks With Brittany Brown of the Gulf States Newsroom About Issues Plaguing Alabama and Mississippi Prisons.
Read more.
Advocates Suggest Housing Assistance for Those Leaving Prison
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Commission on Reentry heard presentations Tuesday about the need for expanding housing assistance for those leaving prison as a way to reduce recidivism. The state currently provides no housing assistance for the majority of people who are leaving prison at the end of their sentences. Read more.
