Blog – Alabama Appleseed

The State of Justice Blog

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…

Introducing Dana Sweeney – Alabama Appleseed's Organizer

Alabama Appleseed News, Dana Sweeney

My name is Dana Sweeney, and I am the newest addition to the Alabama Appleseed team. Continuing the efforts of many Appleseed advocates before me, I will be working as a statewide organizer to put an end to predatory lending practices in Alabama.…

Alabama Appleseed, the Virginia NAACP, and Coalition Partners File Brief in Opposition to Drivers’ Licenses Being Suspended for Unpaid Debts

Advocacy News

Montgomery, AL – Alabama Appleseed, the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, and 17 other civil rights and poverty law organizations from across the nation today submitted an amicus brief in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for…