Current:Home > NewsAlabama prison chief responds to families’ criticism -AssetVision
Alabama prison chief responds to families’ criticism
View
Date:2025-04-12 12:06:04
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Department of Corrections, which faced pointed criticism this week from families of inmates during an emotional public hearing, issued a statement Thursday saying the department is working to address ongoing challenges in the state prison system.
The department said that a number of changes have been made since Corrections Commissioner John Q. Hamm was appointed in 2022. The department said hiring has increased, and there are ongoing efforts to curb the flow of contraband and improve communications with families.
“Two years is not a long time in state government, but it can seem like an eternity when your loved ones are incarcerated. These public hearings are critical to rebuilding the public’s trust in its state agencies through better transparency and accountability,” Hamm said in a statement.
Family members of people incarcerated in Alabama prisons packed the Wednesday public hearing held by the Joint Legislative Prison Committee, a panel of lawmakers focused on prison oversight. Several speakers described how their loved ones had died in state custody. Others described beatings, rapes, extortion attempts and rampant drug availability and overdoses behind bars. They also expressed frustration over the state’s lack of progress in improving conditions.
The sister of a man stabbed to death last month was among the speakers. Deandre Roney, 39, died June 8. Before he was killed, his sister said he told prison staff that he was being threatened by another inmate. “We just want justice and answers,” Chante Roney, his sister, said at the hearing.
The Department of Corrections said Thursday that officials have identified a suspect in Roney’s death, but the investigation is ongoing.
The Alabama prison system has long come under criticism for high rates of violence, crowding and chronic understaffing. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in 2020 against Alabama arguing that conditions in the prison system — which the Justice Department called one of the most understaffed and violent in the country — are so poor that they violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Will Hurricane Helene emerge like a monster from the Gulf?
- Diddy arrest punctuates long history of legal troubles: Unraveling old lawsuits, allegations
- O&C Investment Alliance: A Union of Wisdom and Love in Wealth Creation
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Young Dolph was killed in an alleged hit put out by Yo Gotti's brother, prosecutors claim
- Brett Favre Shares He’s Been Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease
- Marcellus Williams to be executed in Missouri woman's brutal murder; clemency denied
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- SEC teams gets squeezed out in latest College Football Playoff bracket projection
Ranking
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Beloved fantasy author Brandon Sanderson releases children's book with Kazu Kibuishi
- Jordan Chiles files second appeal to get her Olympic bronze medal back
- Retirement on Arizona right-leaning high court gives Democratic governor rare chance to fill seat
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Marley Brothers upholds father’s legacy with first tour in 2 decades
- Why Fans Think Camila Cabello Shaded Sabrina Carpenter During Concert
- Best Free People Deals Under $50 -- Boho Chic Styles Starting at $14, Save Up to 69%
Recommendation
'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
A bitter fight between two tribes over sacred land where one built a casino
Will Hurricane Helene emerge like a monster from the Gulf?
Aramark workers at 3 Philadelphia sports stadiums are now on strike. Here's why.
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Sean “Diddy” Combs Moved Into Same Jail Housing Unit as Disgraced Exec Sam Bankman-Fried
This Viral Pumpkin Dutch Oven Is on Sale -- Shop These Deals From Staub, Le Creuset & More
A snowmobiler who crashed into a parked Black Hawk helicopter is awarded $3 million