Entries by Carla Crowder

The toll on Alabama families of uncontrolled violence in Alabama Department of Corrections’ prisons

“My daughter has nightmares and wakes up screaming and crying because all she sees is her dad being beaten and strangled and screaming for help.” – Christy Martin, whose daughter’s father was killed in prison. This story is part of Appleseed’s series “Cruel and Unusual” focusing on the people harmed by Alabama’s overreliance on excessive […]

There was a gun in a maximum security prison. Incarcerated people say it was left to them to secure the area.

By Eddie Burkhalter, Researcher It’s been eleven days since Derrol Shaw walked the hallways of William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility carrying a semi-automatic pistol, and the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has yet to publicly mention the gun or provide the public with assurances that whatever security failures led to the bizarre series of events […]

Another incarcerated man killed at Elmore prison, where an ADOC sergeant faces murder changes

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher An Alabama Department of Corrections officer was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in connection with the death of an incarcerated man, who had nearly completed a 20-year sentence. The violence occurred at Elmore Correctional Facility, the site of numerous incidents of unlawful brutality by correctional staff toward incarcerated people. […]

Appleseed’s 2023 Legislative Recap

By Frederick Spight, Policy Director The dust has finally settled and the 2023 Legislative session has ended. We wanted to provide a recap of our legislative priorities, efforts, and initiatives. This session was different, beginning with a special session to disburse the remaining ARPA funds. There were many twists and turns, but overall we have […]

Suicides Persist in Alabama’s Unconstitutional Prisons

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher Two men in two separate Alabama prisons attempted suicide on Sunday. One of the men, 34-year-old Steven Craig Seay, died at St. Clair Correctional Facility, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) confirmed for Appleseed. The other man, a 32-year-old, survived and was taken from Donaldson Correctional Facility to a local […]