On Dec. 9, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections and the State of Alabama for “unsafe conditions” inside prisons.
This is a significant development in the ongoing struggle to improve prison conditions across the U.S.
The DOJ alleges that the Alabama prison system has been violating the Eighth amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Specifically, the lawsuit claims that Alabama prisons are so bad that they are causing “needless suffering and death”, according to the Justice Department.
Alabama is no stranger to criticism of its prison system. The state has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, and its prisons have been under scrutiny for years. In 2014, the DOJ released a report that found “serious deficiencies” in the state’s prison system, including overcrowding and understaffing.
Since then, the state has made some efforts to improve conditions. However, the DOJ says those changes are insufficient, and the conditions remain inhumane.
Of course, the lawsuit comes at a time when the U.S. is grappling with issues of racial justice and police brutality. The prison system is a crucial part of this conversation, as it disproportionately affects communities of color. In Alabama, the prison population is almost 60 percent Black, despite Black people making up only around 27 percent of the state’s population.
The DOJ’s lawsuit is a big step towards holding Alabama accountable for its treatment of prisoners. However, it is just one part of a broader effort to reform the prison system in the U.S.