Entries by Carla Crowder

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Two men stabbed at Holman prison after ADOC moved assailant with decade-long history of violence and sexual assault out of segregation

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed researcher The man the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) believes was responsible for the kidnapping, torture, rape and death of 22-year-old Daniel Williams inside Staton Correctional Facility in 2023 stabbed two other men this week at Holman Correctional Facility. Lamont Wilson stabbed two men at Holman on Wednesday, according to multiple […]

September 13, 2026 /0 Comments/by
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New motion in DOJ case documents 7 years of complacency and denial following state leaders’ promises to address human rights crisis in Alabama prisons

By Eddie Burkhalter and Carla Crowder Seven years after the United States Department of Justice first documented unconstitutional levels of violence, sexual assault, and excessive force by guards fueled by extreme mismanagement, dysfunction and corruption across Alabama’s prison system for men, a new 260-page motion from the federal government reinforces what prisoners and their families […]

September 3, 2026 /0 Comments/by
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The good news about crime that you probably won’t hear about in election ads

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher In Alabama last year, both violent and property crime fell by a combined 7.5 percent, following a consistent trend of decreasing crime rates across the U.S., according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations crime data analyzed by Appleseed.  Despite frequent public perception that crime is surging, all four violent crimes, […]

August 28, 2026 /0 Comments/by
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Total tax dollars for William Lunsford and the Butler Snow firm now at $94 million

The Alabama Department of Corrections’ dysfunction continues to outdo itself– over 1,600 people have died in its custody since the Department of Justice released its damning report on conditions in 2019, violence and corruption remain rampant all the way up to prison facility administrators, and taxpayers are on the hook for billions of dollars to pay for […]

August 15, 2026 /0 Comments/by
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Other states settle cases, Alabama writes big checks. New contracts will bring total ADOC legal spending for attorney William Lunsford to $86 million

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher The private Alabama attorney William “Bill” Lunsford, individually and in his role as an appointed state Deputy Attorney General, has been paid $48.8 million defending the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) as of Aug. 5, and millions more of our tax dollars are headed his way. That staggering number, taxpayer […]

August 9, 2026 /0 Comments/by

National Advocacy Group FAMM Offering Content on Alabama Prison Tablets

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher In the coming weeks incarcerated people in Alabama will be able to access valuable information on their electronic tablets from a national nonprofit that advocates for sentencing and prison reform.  FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums) announced this week that the organization’s information will soon be available and free to use […]

June 18, 2026 /0 Comments/by
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1000 Years Overcome! Celebrating a Milestone in Appleseed’s Legal and Reentry Work

A few years ago, Appleseed confronted an astonishing truth within Alabama state prisons: people sentenced to life without parole, individuals with no chance of using good behavior to catch a break and regain their freedom, served as leaders, mentors, barbers, cooks, literally sang in the chapel choir at Alabama’s maximum security prisons. For hundreds of […]

June 12, 2026 /0 Comments/by
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Fallout from the State’s Unfortunate Contract with Prison Healthcare Provider YesCare Continues as Workers Go Unpaid and State Dollars Go Missing

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher Medical workers inside Alabama prisons who were employed by the embattled company YesCare haven’t received their last paychecks, and the Alabama Department of Corrections is predicting “protracted litigation,” over millions of taxpayer dollars at issue following the sudden termination of the billion-dollar contract.  The hardship falling upon those prison health […]

May 20, 2026 /0 Comments/by
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April 2026: News and Updates

Hello from Alabama Appleseed! Our April newsletter contains your monthly dose of hope and justice from right here in Alabama. We accomplished surprising things this quarter. And Jason Isbell stopped by. Read more here. Highlights: Appleseed’s focus on representing people unnecessarily incarcerated under extreme sentences has resulted in freedom for dozens of Alabamians. They are […]

May 5, 2026 /0 Comments/by