Alabama prisons commissioner Jeff Dunn to retire as system faces federal pressure
ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn will retire at the end of the year.
The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) will soon be under new leadership.
Commissioner Jeff Dunn will retire at the end of the year, to be replaced by John Hamm, current deputy secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Ala. Gov. Kay Ivey made the announcement Tuesday.
“Commissioner Dunn has a thankless job, but I am proud that he has led with the utmost integrity,” Ivey said in a statement. “He has helped lay the groundwork that I now look forward to building upon with John Hamm at the helm.”
During a nearly seven-year tenure, Dunn faced mounting pressure to address chronic violence, overcrowding and understaffing in Alabama’s prisons for men.
Much of the pressure comes from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which released two reports in 2019 and 2020 detailing “rampant” violence and sexual assault among incarcerated men, and excessive use of force by correctional officers.
The DOJ subsequently filed a lawsuit against Alabama in late 2020, which could lead to federal oversight if conditions don’t improve.
Ivey said the state’s prison system has made “significant progress” under Dunn’s leadership, though he’s faced criticism from advocates and some lawmakers.
Dunn’s resignation comes two months after Alabama lawmakers approved a $1.3 billion prison construction plan.
Incoming commissioner John Hamm has more than 35 years of law enforcement experience, including work in local and state corrections.
“I am honored and humbled by Governor Ivey appointing me as commissioner of Corrections,” Hamm said in a statement. “I will work diligently with the men and women of DOC to fulfill Governor Ivey’s charge of solving the issues of Alabama’s prison system.”
Hamm will take over as ADOC commissioner effective January 1, 2022.
The candy heir vs. chocolate skimpflation
The grandson of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups creator has launched a campaign against The Hershey Company, which owns the Reese's brand. He wants them to stop skimping on ingredients.
Scientists make a pocket-sized AI brain with help from monkey neurons
A new study suggests AI systems could be a lot more efficient. Researchers were able to shrink an AI vision model to 1/1000th of its original size.
U.S. evacuates diplomats, shuts down some embassies as war enters fourth day
The United States evacuated diplomats across the Middle East and shut down some embassies as war with Iran intensified Tuesday while President Trump signaled the conflict could turn into extended war.
North Carolina and Texas have primary elections Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know
The midterm elections are officially underway and contests in Texas and North Carolina will be the first major opportunity for parties to hear from voters about what's important to them in 2026.
Kristi Noem set to face senators over DHS shutdown, immigration enforcement
The focus of the hearing is likely to be on how Kristi Noem is pursuing President Trump's mass deportation efforts in his second term, after two U.S. citizens were killed by immigration officers.
College students, professors are making their own AI rules. They don’t always agree
More than three years after ChatGPT debuted, AI has become a part of everyday life — and professors and students are still figuring out how or if they should use it.
