Entries by Carla Crowder

Appleseed Welcomes Executive Assistant Keely Sutton

By Keely Sutton My name is Keely Sutton and I am delighted to be Carla’s new Executive Assistant at Alabama Appleseed. For years I have used Appleseed’s reports and succinct summaries of important social justice issues in Alabama—mass incarceration, economic justice, racial justice, and government accountability—as jumping off points for deeper explorations into intersecting issues […]

Welcome home James Jones! Appleseed’s 20th client – and longest serving – is freed from a life without parole sentence.

By Scott Fuqua, Appleseed Staff Attorney On December 18, 2024, James Jones, age 77, walked out of the St. Clair Correctional Facility a free man after being incarcerated for forty-three years. He was serving a life without parole sentence which, absent extraordinary relief, would have required him to remain in prison until death for the […]

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Welcome Legal Extern Joe Manasco

My name is Joe Manasco. I will be an extern this semester at Alabama Appleseed, assisting with legal research. I am a proud Alabamian (I call both Huntsville and Jasper my hometowns) and a 2L at Georgetown Law. Growing up, I didn’t have many opportunities to travel— so Alabama was all I knew. Despite having […]

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Incarcerated man hospitalized after “use of force” by ADOC sergeant at St. Clair prison

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher Days before the close of 2024, a 53-year-old incarcerated man at St. Clair Correctional Facility was beaten by an officer, requiring hospitalization, according to sources, who tell Appleseed the man was handcuffed when beaten.  That officer, whom those sources identify as Sergeant Jajuan Howard, has been placed on a “noncontact […]

Appleseed is hiring an Executive Assistant!

Alabama Appleseed seeks an Executive Assistant to manage a wide range of administrative duties and provide development support. The Executive Assistant works closely with the Executive Director and reports directly to the Executive Director. This position requires excellent organizational skills, communications skills, and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, nonprofit environment. An ideal […]

“I’ll Meet You at the Corner of Hope and Trust.” Reflections working with the Aspen Institute’s Community Advisory Group

By Callie Greer, Appleseed Community Navigator Since 2021, I’ve been a part of a community roundtable called the Community Advisory Group (CAG) at the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program. Six individuals were chosen and invited to lead the roundtable, and the main topic was poverty and how it’s the catalyst that precipitates life without wealth. […]

Ronnie Peoples is free! Sentenced to life without parole for offenses with no physical injury, Mr. Peoples was respected and beloved at St. Clair prison. But it took a cancer diagnosis for him to be released.

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Research Ronnie Peoples stood alongside Bradley Black in St. Clair Correctional Facility and the two men hugged before Mr. Peoples walked outside as a free man for the first time in 33 years.  Mr. Black, a welding instructor at the prison’s trade school, worked for decades alongside Mr. Peoples, who kept […]

Joshua Hamer, incarcerated on a probation violation for nonviolent crimes, is beaten to death in prison.

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher After he was beaten on Nov. 6th, Joshua Hamer was placed back into his bunk at Bibb Correctional Facility unconscious, and wasn’t found until the next day. He never regained consciousness and died 16 days later.  Mr. Hamer, who was 41, was imprisoned on a probation violation stemming from an […]

Happy 25th Anniversary Alabama Appleseed!

This year, Appleseed’s annual Celebrate Justice event looked back on 25 years of advocacy for marginalized and vulnerable Alabamians. We celebrated alongside longtime supporters, founding board members, elected officials, retired staff, and our beaming formerly incarcerated clients, who vibrantly shared their stories with the crowd.  In preparation for our 25th Anniversary, we combed the archives, […]