Crime
Man sentenced to 30 years after police officer shot friend
Alabama’s felony murder law holds someone liable for murder if they participate in a felony that results in someone's death.
Lawmakers say prison plan will continue despite cost jump
The Alabama Corrections Institution Finance Authority on Wednesday increased the spending cap for a 4,000-bed prison now under construction in Elmore County, from $623 million to $975 million.
New exhibition driving bill would stiffen penalties, including fines and jail time
People have been injured, even killed, in exhibition driving-related incidents in Birmingham. Now, lawmakers are addressing the issue on a statewide level.
After deadliest year on record, families remember loved ones lost in Alabama prisons
Two hundred sixty-six incarcerated people died inside Alabama's prisons in 2022, and dozens have died so far in 2023.
WBRC’s new podcast explores the disappearance of Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney
The 3-year-old went missing in 2019 outside a public housing complex in Birmingham. Her body was found about a week later in a dumpster.
A small team works to aid immigrants in Louisiana: ‘Do the best you can with the time you have’
Three women detail the grueling, personal work behind regular visits to Louisiana’s detention centers to help immigrants make it through the asylum process.
Alabama has 5th highest U.S. gun death rate. A study blames weak laws, high ownership
The Violence Policy Center, a non-profit educational organization, used the most recent CDC data on gun death rates in the U.S. for its analysis.
Alabama prison chief says lack of staffing remains top issue
Commissioner John Hamm said the department is looking to a combination of outsourcing, pay raises and benefit changes to increase the number of workers.
‘Injustice, Inc.’ uncovers how some in the legal system use poor families to get rich
Daniel L. Hatcher discusses his book, which looks at how state agencies exploit impoverished families to make money through the U.S. juvenile justice system.
Alabama ‘close’ to finishing nitrogen execution protocol
Alabama has authorized the use of nitrogen hypoxia, but it has never been used to carry out a death sentence.
‘Unreformed’ podcast tells the largely untold story of an abusive Alabama reform school
A conversation with journalist and podcast host Josie Duffy Rice details the troubled history of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, or Mt. Meigs.
400 Alabama inmates to be released early under 2021 law
The sentencing law sends prisoners to supervised release several months before their sentences are set to end.
Alabama extends time for executions, ends automatic review
The Alabama Supreme Court abolished the one-day time frame for executions. Instead, the governor will set a window of time. The court also eliminated an automatic “plain error review” of death penalty cases.
Parole denied for 90% of Alabama inmates, a new low
The rate of state inmates being granted parole in Alabama has plummeted to a new low, with 90% of eligible inmates being rejected last fiscal year.
Gov. Ivey announces rules for prison ‘good time’ incentives
Ivey's executive order categorizes offenses and outlines how much “good time” will be forfeited.
Alabama Supreme Court denies new trial for man on death row
Lawyers had argued he was due a new trial because the state failed to disclose a key prosecution witness was paid a reward several years after testifying.
Lament and Hope Memorial Ride honors those lost to gun violence in Birmingham
This weekend, over 100 cars with flags honoring people who have died in homicides this year will ride through downtown Birmingham.
Attorney General says the execution review should happen quickly, that there is ‘no moratorium’
Last month, Gov. Kay Ivey asked Attorney General Steve Marshall not to seek additional execution dates for any other death row inmates until a review is complete.
Attorneys: ‘Botched’ execution caused pain and torture
Kenneth Eugene Smith’s attorneys say he was “subjected to ever-escalating levels of pain and torture” on the night of the failed execution.
Birmingham City Council approves violence-reduction effort for city high schools
The program involves community mentors, called “coaches,” meeting with groups of at-risk students twice a week.
Advocates hope Alabama’s execution moratorium leads to change but say the blame is misplaced
Equal Justice Initiative Director Bryan Stevenson says Alabama’s failed executions were “shocking, torturous conduct that provided justice to no one.”
Alabama calls off execution after difficulties inserting IV
This is the second execution since September the state has cancelled because of IV difficulties.
City officials want parents to combat gun violence. Community leaders say it’s not that simple
Officials point to parents and the need for strong community networks to stop gun violence in Birmingham. They say it takes a village. But it’s not just the people in charge saying that, it’s also kids, activists, and the parents themselves.
Teens say Birmingham’s gun violence takes a heavy toll
At least 11 students in Birmingham have died due to gun violence since the beginning of the year, and their peers say the ongoing issue causes their mental health to suffer.
Police remove suspicious backpack from near a Birmingham synagogue
Authorities said the bag was a credible threat although it did not contain an explosive. The incident came on the heels of threats against synagogues in New Jersey.
In New Orleans, a symbolic bike ride helps fight recidivism. Here’s how it impacted the riders.
The annual NOLA to Angola bike ride returned this month to help the nonprofit The First 72+ fight recidivism. Participants share what the ride means to them.
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.
World Games Human Exploitation Task Force announces arrests
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations says 34 arrests were made for commercial sex and six arrests for human trafficking during The World Games, which ended Sunday in Birmingham.
Police identify the victims from Thursday’s deadly church shooting in Vestavia Hills
Police say the suspect is a 71-year-old white male who occasionally attended the church. They haven’t released a motive but said he used a handgun.
Alabama church shooting kills 2, wounds 1; suspect detained
The shooting occurred Thursday evening at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills.
Deliberate Indifference: A conversation about Alabama, Mississippi prison issues
WBHM’s Mary Scott Hodgin talks with Brittany Brown of the Gulf States Newsroom about issues plaguing Alabama and Mississippi prisons.
Inside the manhunt for an escaped murder suspect and jailer
U.S. marshals and sheriff’s deputies led an 11-day manhunt for an Alabama murder suspect and jailer who were heavily armed and preparing for a shootout when they were captured.
