Despite years of overcrowding, violence, and abuse in Alabama’s prisons, highlighted last year in a scathing Department of Justice report and exacerbated by the current COVID-19 pandemic, state officials have done little to alleviate these conditions.
The situation in Alabama’s prisons is becoming dire, with at least one death in state prison from COVID-19 so far and increasing numbers of positive cases statewide.
Now, on May 19, parole hearings are set to resume after a month-long hiatus from the Board of Pardons and Paroles. A recent Campaign for Smart Justice report showed that there are over 4000 people, or roughly 15 percent, who were eligible for a parole hearing before April 1, 2020. With hearings resuming next week, Governor Ivey, the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles and the Alabama Department of Corrections must work together quickly to resume parole hearings and expedite releases.
Join us on this day for a virtual rally on Twitter to call on Alabama officials to quickly and urgently release people from these dangerous and overcrowded prisons. Every moment spent in these facilities is a risk to their health, safety, and ultimately, life.
We’re demanding release NOW.
Join us by sharing one of the sample graphics and tweets in our social media toolkit.
