MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Today, Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles Director Charlie Graddick announced his resignation. He was appointed by Governor Ivey in 2019 and began overseeing the bureau in September of last year. Fiscal year 2020 marked the fewest paroles granted in Alabama history while the largest backlog of parole-eligible people waiting for a hearing languished in ADOC’s horrifically violent and overcrowded prisons. These serious problems occurred under the direction of Charlie Graddick. Since that time, the board has not only engaged in a record number of parole denials, but the bureau scheduled the fewest parole hearings on record, 40 percent less hearings than the previous year.
Beth Shelburne, investigative reporter with ACLU of Alabama’s Campaign for Smart Justice said:
“Alabama’s criminal punishment structure includes the possibility of parole in the majority of prison sentences. Individuals who are convicted of crimes and sentenced to prison must be given a meaningful chance at parole using evidence-based practices that are free from politics and fear-mongering. In FY 2020, Alabama denied release to 78 percent of people eligible for parole during a global pandemic and after the U.S. Department of Justice ordered state leaders to address prison overcrowding. We are hopeful that Graddick’s departure marks the beginning of recovery for Alabama’s beleaguered parole system.”
The full letter of his resignation is online below.
