Search Results for life after prison
UAB And JeffCo Officials Plan Hospital-Based Intervention Program For Gunshot Survivors
Trauma doctors in Birmingham are treating a record number of patients with gunshot wounds. Health officials hope a violence intervention program could help reverse the trend.
Derek Chauvin Found Guilty Of George Floyd’s Murder
Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, has been found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
A Year Like No Other: COVID-19 In The Gulf States
In a special broadcast one year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, reporters from public radio stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana reflect on the toll it’s taken on the region.
Birmingham Divvies Up $500K In Bold Funding For Nonprofits
Nine Birmingham nonprofits will receive funding from the city’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development grant initiative this year, despite an overall reduction in funding for the program.
Lady Justice Is Not Wearing A Blindfold
In Alabama, Blacks make up more than half of the state's inmate population. Some law professionals say racial bias spans from over policing of Black neighborhoods to criminal sentencing.
Gambling Proposals Must Pass The ‘Smell Test’ Before Going To Voters, Ivey Tells Lawmakers
The governor recapped the challenges of 2020, particularly on schools and the economy.
What To Expect During The 2021 Alabama Legislative Session
Lawmakers will debate perennial issues from the budgets to prisons, but the coronavirus pandemic remains ever present.
‘Be Like Pearl’: A Woman So Admired She Inspired New Year’s Resolutions Was Felled By COVID-19
Pearl Slay is one of more than 2,300 Alabamians who have died from COVID-19.
New Exhibit Features Artwork From Alabama Inmates
The issues around Alabama's troubled prison system are complex, but a new exhibit featuring artwork by Alabama inmates hopes to generate a different conversation.
Advocates Want Lawmakers to End the Habitual Offender Act
Gov. Kay Ivey’s Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy meets Thursday to talk sentencing. Advocates want the group to address the state’s Habitual Felony Offender Act.
Alabama Governor Signs Near-total Abortion Ban Into Law
Alabama’s Republican governor signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.
Former Jefferson County Commissioner Chris McNair Dies
For most of her life, WBHM reporter Sherrell Stewart has had a close up view of McNair's triumphs and heartbreaks. She shares this remembrance, including what they discussed just days before his death.
The Big Picture: Woodfin’s Team Updates Residents About Progress on Public Safety, Economic Opportunities and Other Initiatives
A black-and-white photo of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin — shot in profile, eyes fixed in an expression of steely determination — hovered over the stage of the Alabama School of Fine Arts’ Dorothy Jemison Day Theater on Thursday night.
Gov. Ivey Calls Special Session Around Gas Tax Proposal
A gas tax increase, more money for prisons, and a pre-kindergarten expansion were among the legislative priorities Gov. Kay Ivey highlighted in her State of the State address on Tuesday.
A Friendly Homecoming for Activist Angela Davis
Civil rights activist and Birmingham native Angela Davis spoke at Birmingham's Boutwell Auditorium Saturday evening. The talk came after a controversy over an award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, 72, Dies
One of Birmingham’s most colorful and memorable mayors died Tuesday. Larry Langford, 72, died Tuesday evening at a Birmingham hospital.
Push to Rewrite Mayor-Council Act Shaping up at Birmingham City Hall
In a recent meeting during which two new Birmingham City Council members were appointed, councilors gave clear signals that they’re ready to take on a rewrite of the law that governs separation of powers in Birmingham’s municipal government.
Feds Announce Dozens of Violent Crime and Illegal Weapons Charges
Federal and local law enforcement announced indictments today for 71 people accused of violent crime and illegal weapons and drug possession in Birmingham and north Alabama.
Doug Jones and Roy Moore Vary Widely on Top Issues in Senate Race – BirminghamWatch
BirminghamWatch’s Glenn Stephens took a look at where US Senate candidates Roy Moore and Doug Jones stand on key issues. Here’s their story. Doug Jones and Roy Moore Alabama voters will […]
From Poverty to Potholes, Frank Matthews Wants to Fix the City
Frank Matthews has been a preacher, a media consultant and co-director of the Mayor's Office of Citizens' Assistance. Now, the he wants to become mayor of Birmingham .
History Professor’s Book Reconstructs One African-American’s Legal Saga
In his new book "He Calls Me By Lightning," Samford University history professor Jonathan Bass writes about the 13-year legal journey endured by a Bessemer man in Jim Crow Alabama.
Charles Henderson, Newly Elected DA, Prepares To Bring Change To Criminal Justice
"What we’ve been doing hasn’t worked. I’ve been saying all along we need to do more on this side to get people the resources they need, and quit using prisons as a way to kinda brush the problem aside."
“The Faith of Christopher Hitchens”
Christopher Hitchens and Larry Taunton seem unlikely candidates to be friends. Hitchens was a writer and avowed atheist who died of esophageal cancer in 2011. Taunton is the founder of the Birmingham-based Fixed Point Foundation. It’s an evangelical Christian organization that has sponsored debates with prominent atheists. It’s through this work the two met and became friends. Larry Taunton is out with a book called “The Faith of Christopher Hitchens: The Restless Soul of the World’s Most Notorious Atheist”
The Rising Cost of Helping the Homeless in Alabama
Life is difficult without identification. For homeless people, not having it can make life even more challenging. There are organizations that help homeless people get state-issued IDs, but cost increases […]
Handling Heroin In The Courts
Heroin related deaths more than doubled last year in Jefferson county. All this week, WBHM has explored Alabama's heroin problem. With a rise in use of the drug, police report more heroin arrests, and judges say their dockets are filling up with cases. According to Birmingham's drug court, eight out of ten cases are for heroin. We conclude our series with a look at the courts. Ashley Cleek followed one addict into the criminal justice system to see what works and what doesn't.
Javacia Harris Bowser: The “Hip Hop Genius” In The Classroom
It's that time of year -- students are headed back to the classroom for their fall semesters and teachers are getting ready to implement their lesson plans in the hopes of inspiring a new group of young minds. And while there are guidelines and rules teachers must follow when creating their curriculum, some teachers are look for ways to think outside the box to connect with their students. Our guest blogger Javacia Harris Bowser writes about this in her monthly post for WBHM. As an educator herself, she has some insights and inspiration for teachers.
A College For Inmates, And An Interview With Its President
The United States locks up people at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world. Some of the most overcrowded prisons are right here in Alabama. Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women is one of them. But some inmates there have access to a unique state-funded program that offers academics and "life skills" they'll need after release. The problem is, this J.F. Ingram State Technical College program, which could ease overcrowding, is struggling for funds. WBHM's Dan Carsen has the story and a full-length interview with J.F. Ingram's president.
Female Inmates Can Face a Cycle of Abuse
While incarcerated women have characteristics that are similar to their male counterparts, a closer look reveals another story. Studies have shown that the majority of incarcerated women were victims of verbal, physical or sexual abuse before coming to prison. Les Lovoy reports how abuse in prison can re-traumatize women and the challenge for them to break the cycle of abuse, once they re-enter society.
September 25 News
Selma debates whether to honor a Civil War general who also led the Ku Klux Klan; Alabamians who lost homes to foreclosure could get piece of $25B settlement; and Alabama newspaper legend dies.
September 24 News
Birmingham man arrested for tweeted death threats against Pres. Obama; UAH professor goes on trial for murdering colleagues; Plea deal may be in the works in running death of Etowah County girl.
September 14 News
Forces are rallying on both sides in advance of next week’s statewide referendum. The constitutional amendment would allow the transfer of $437 million dollars from the Alabama Trust Fund to be used for Medicaid, prisons and other state services.
September 12 News
Former UAH professor pleads guilty to murder while former AL Governor reports to prison and Gadsden's federal courthouse targeted in closure.
