Alabama Prison Officials “Deliberately Indifferent” to Mental Health Needs
A federal judge ruled Monday the Alabama prison system has failed to monitor the mental health of prisoners isolated in segregation cells, a failure to which the Alabama Department of Corrections is “deliberately indifferent,” according to the order.
“[I]n light of the significant number of wholly unanticipated suicides in ADOC segregation units, by individuals who were not on the mental-health caseload, defendants’ contention that ‘the system works’ is astonishing,” the order from U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson reads. The 66-page decision follows calls last week from the Southern Poverty Law Center asking Gov. Kay Ivey and state lawmakers to address the crisis in state prisons.
“We are only sorry ADOC didn’t do anything to remedy the situation during the last year and a half, as hundreds or thousands of men and women suffered in ADOC segregation units, and ultimately as 13 people took their own lives,” a statement from the SPLC says.
ADOC in 2017 was found to have violated the Constitution’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of the Eighth Amendment. That ruling said “persistent and severe shortages” of mental health care staff contributed to the prison system’s failings, calling the mental health care system there “horrendously inadequate.” A 2014 lawsuit filed by the SPLC notes several examples where prison staff failed to give adequate health and medical care to inmates. In addition, according to the lawsuit, prisoners were placed under “do not resuscitate” or “allow natural death” orders without their consent or knowledge. Prisoners with serious mental health issues were routinely kept in solitary confinement and given little or no mental health care.
Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.
Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature
This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.
