U.S. Department of Justice

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.

Q&A: After DOJ’s Parchman report, what changes are needed at Mississippi Corrections?

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Brittany Brown details the Department of Justice’s report on the Mississippi State Penitentiary, and what comes next.

Wastewater failures for Lowndes County’s Black residents at center of DOJ investigation

The investigation, opened Tuesday, is looking into the Alabama Department of Health’s and the Lowndes County Health Department’s wastewater disposal and infectious disease and outbreak programs.

DOJ Lawsuit Could Lead To Federal Oversight Of Alabama Prisons

More than a year after finding unconstitutional conditions in Alabama's male prisons, federal officials are taking legal action against the state.

Alabama’s Absentee Ballot Rules Draw Increased Scrutiny Amid Pandemic

Criticisms of Alabama’s absentee ballot requirements are intensifying. Legal challenges to the law call for greater accessibility, especially to the state's most vulnerable populations -- black residents, the elderly and those with disabilities.

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.

Ivey’s Study Group Proposes Prison Reforms Ahead of Legislative Session

Gov. Kay Ivey’s prisons study group made suggestions Tuesday after months of reviewing the state's troubled prison system.

Court Says Gardendale Must Pay Opponents’ Legal Fees in Failed School System Breakaway

The City of Gardendale will have to pay $850,000 to the lawyers of black students, according to a new court ruling.

Questions Loom One Year After Hoover Mall Shooting

The police killing of 21-year-old Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr. happened a year ago at the Riverchase Galleria Mall after officers wrongly thought he was the shooter. Alabama’s Attorney General cleared the Hoover police officer of any criminal wrongdoing and so did the Department of Justice. But a lot of questions remain unanswered.

Jefferson County Is on the Brink of Shedding Personnel Consent Decree

U.S. District Court Judge Lynwood Smith wished Tony Petelos a happy Halloween, one in which he would get more treats than tricks.

Frustration With Health Department Intensifies as Environmental Groups Seek to Overturn ABC Coke’s Air Permit Renewal

Environmental groups say ABC Coke’s air permit renewal issued in April is flawed and are appealing to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to agree that it does not comply with requirements of the federal Clean Air Act.

Fed’s Report Condemning Alabama Prisons: State Vows Action

Alabama authorities vowed Thursday to begin the monumental task of fixing their troubling prison problems, responding to a U.S. Department of Justice report that condemned excessive violence, inmate deaths and a critical staffing shortage in the state correctional system.

JefCo to Receive Federal Grant to Improve Prosecution of Sexual Assault

Jefferson County will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to improve how the justice system handles sexual assault cases, announced today U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls, Sheriff Mike Hale and Crisis Center Executive Director Meg McGlamery. The county is one of just seven […]