Alabama Prison System
Challenges to forced prison labor gain steam, have resonance in the Gulf South
A lawsuit objecting to conditions on the Louisiana State Penitentiary's "farm line" is among at least three legal challenges percolating in the Gulf South.
Prisoners’ bodies returned to families without heart, other organs, lawsuit alleges
The family of Brandon Clay Dotson, who died in a state prison in November, filed a federal lawsuit last month against the Alabama Department of Corrections and others saying his body was decomposing and his heart was missing when his remains were returned to his family.
A books-to-prisons program creates connection behind bars
Katie Willis and Megan Lyle, founders of the local bookstore Burdock Book Collective, began their books-to-prisons program in 2020.
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.
Judge orders Alabama prison system to boost staff by 2025
The Alabama Department of Corrections had been ordered to reach staffing targets by Feb. 2022, but the judge said that's clearly "out of reach."
Ivey’s Prison Construction Plan Meets Financial Roadblock
State officials are back to the drawing board after Gov. Kay Ivey’s plan to lease three privately-owned prisons missed a major financial deadline this week.
State Lawmaker Calls For New Leadership Of Troubled Prison System
The Alabama Department of Corrections faces a Friday deadline to outline a plan to meet court-ordered staffing goals. State Rep. Chris England says the prison system needs new leadership.
Alabama Lawmakers Approve $5 Million For Coronavirus Response
Coronavirus grabbed the attention of state lawmakers this week. And bills related to the prison system and medical marijuana advanced.
WBHM Politics: Working in Alabama’s Prisons
As policy makers debate how to address the numerous issues facing Alabama's prison system, the experiences of the men and women who work at prisons can sometimes be hidden.
Are Alabama Prisoners Getting the Mental Health Care They Need?
At the heart of the recent federal trial under way is a question, “Are prisoners getting the mental health care they need? Mental health advocates insist they are not.
As $800 Million Prison Plan Returns This Session, Some Lawmakers Are Skeptical
Governor Robert Bentley is pushing an $800 million dollar prison overhaul for a second time. Lawmakers are expected to debate the bill in the legislative session that starts Tuesday.
This Week in the Legislature: Prisons, BP Oil Funds and Lane Cake
The sun is setting on Alabama's 2016 Legislative session. With only two more meetings left this year, the Alabama Senate and House discussed and passed a flurry of bills this week on everything from approving Governor Robert Bentley's $800 million prison construction bond proposal to how to spend BP oil settlement funds to naming the lane cake Alabama's official dessert.
Some Doubt Gov. Robert Bentley’s Prison Reform Plan
Critics call them five-star prison hotels. Fact is, Alabama’s prisons are among the most overcrowded in the nation. The state’s correctional facilities, designed to hold 13,000 inmates, instead house almost double that. State prisons are also chronically understaffed, a factor thought to have contributed to two recent inmate riots at Holman Correctional Facility and a fatal inmate stabbing at Elmore Correctional Facility. A Senate budget committee approved Governor Robert Bentley’s proposed solution to the problem. But there’s uncertainty as to whether that’s indeed the way out.
This Week in Montgomery: Alabamians to Vote on Right-to-Work Amendment
Thursday the Alabama Senate passed legislation designed to enshrine Alabama's position as a "right-to-work" state in its constitution. Now, Alabama voters will vote on the amendment in November. We hear more from Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal. Also this week, a bill allowing Alabama to borrow $800 million to build four new prisons moved forward, passing a Senate Committee less than a week after two violent uprisings at Holman Correctional Facility in south Alabama. Dailey told WBHM’s Rachel Lindley about how the recent prison violence moved legislators.
Prison Uprising Puts Governor’s Prison Plan in the Spotlight
Alabama lawmakers are considering a plan from Governor Robert Bentley to overhaul Alabama's prison system. It would use an $800 million bond issue to build four new prisons while closing most others. The proposal takes on renewed importance after two violent uprisings at the Holman Correctional Facility in south Alabama on Friday and Monday. In remarks after touring the facility, the governor says he can't guarantee the same thing won't happen again. We talk about the situation with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Senate Committee Approves Prison Consolidation Plan
A Senate budget committee approved a prison construction bill Wednesday. The bill would close 14 state prisons and build four large regional facilities. Senator Cam Ward was among the bill’s supporters, citing prison overcrowding issues. “Everyone says well you can’t build — and I’ve said this before — you can’t build your way out of the […]
Bryan Stevenson on the Possibility of Equality
Bryan Stevenson is the founder of the Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative. That group works on behalf of indigent defendants and people who haven’t received fair trials. They were instrumental in This week, the weekly newspaper WELD talked with Stevenson about his bestselling memoir and his social justice work. WELD editor Nick Patterson tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley more about their conversation and Stevenson's hopes for the justice system.
Alabama Has Highest Number of Death Row Inmates Per Capita
Alabama has more inmates on death row per capita than any other state. Anthony Ray Hinton was on death row in Alabama for 30 years, sentenced to death in 1985 for murder. Hinton maintained he was not guilty, and in April he was released after reexamined ballistic evidence raised troubling questions about his conviction. Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, discusses the state of the death penalty in Alabama.
Heads of Alabama Prison, Medicaid and Mental Health Systems Say Budget Cuts Would Hurt
Alabama’s facing a general fund budget shortfall. Governor Robert Bentley told law makers Wednesday that state agencies would see sever cuts if taxes aren't raised. Here to recap the budget conversation in Montgomery this week, and more is Don Dailey. He’s the host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television, and he joins WBHM each Friday during the legislative session. To start, Dailey tells’ WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley how heads of the state’s prison, Medicaid and mental health systems described how’d they’d deal with budget cuts to state legislators.
Issues and Ales: Alabama’s Prison System
Issues within the Alabama prison system impact the culture and economy of Alabama, affecting thousands of lives across the state every day. What are the causes for concern? Who is responsible? Why does it matter to you? WBHM explored this topic at 'Issues and Ales: Alabama's Prison System,' hosted in collaboration with AL.com/The Alabama Media Group and The Center for Investigative Reporting. Hear a broadcast of highlights from Issues and Ales on Wednesday, June 25, from 2-3 pm.
Problems in Alabama’s Prisons Pose Challenges For The State
It's been an eventful week for the Alabama Prison System. On Tuesday, Governor Robert Bentley announced initial plans for rebuilding the state's overburdened and underfunded prison system. Governor Bentley said Alabama would work in partnership with private agencies and the government to examine the prison system and suggest reforms. Bentley's announcement came on the same day the Southern Poverty Law Center released a highly critical report on medical care in Alabama prisons. For WBHM, Les Lovoy outlines the numerous challenges facing Alabama's prisons, and what the state is doing to solve the problems.
