Blog – Alabama Appleseed

The State of Justice Blog

2018 Alabama Regular Session – Pre-Session Report

Alabama Appleseed is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1999 whose mission is to achieve justice and equity for all Alabamians. Alabama Appleseed is a member of the national Appleseed Network, which includes 18 Appleseed…

Ensuring Access to Justice for Low-Income Tenants

Access to Justice, Advocacy News, Phillip Ensler

For many low-income tenants who live in substandard living conditions or face eviction, access to justice is often elusive. This often occurs because landlords and tenants are not entering the courtroom on a level playing field. Before their…

The Constitutional Right to Counsel: Is it being upheld in Alabama?

Access to Justice, Advocacy News, Phillip Ensler

The United States Constitution is clear. In criminal cases, the accused have a right to a lawyer. Our Constitution affords this protection in order to ensure that individuals are not wrongfully or unfairly deprived of their liberty. Yet there…

Rein in Policing for Profit

Advocacy News, Fair Schools, Safe Communities

Under both Alabama and federal law, if an individual law enforcement officer believes that your property (including cash) is tied to certain criminal activities, they can seize it, even if you are never convicted of - or even charged with -…

Prison Construction is the Wrong Approach for Alabama, Says Alabama Appleseed

Advocacy News, Fair Schools, Safe Communities

Montgomery, AL – Today the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) announced a plan to hire a project management team to construct new prison facilities and renovate existing facilities. This announcement follows unsuccessful attempts in…

Alabama Appleseed Urges Governor Ivey to Rethink Alabama's Drug Policy

Advocacy News, Fair Schools, Safe Communities, Frank Knaack

Montgomery, AL – The following statement is by Frank Knaack, executive director of Alabama Appleseed, regarding Governor Ivey's decision to award $1.3 million to establish the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force: "After more than 45 years…