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    Alabama Prison Crisis

    The Alabama Department of Corrections operates one of the U.S.’s deadliest, most dysfunctional prison systems. Injustice Watch launched this series in February 2020 to examine problems at the corrections agency related to state prisoner Billy Smith’s 2017 death.

    Alabama Prison Crisis

    Alabama prison death highlights pattern of officials promoting bad bosses

    By Adeshina Emmanuel and Connor Echols | May 31, 2020

    Billy Smith’s 2017 death highlighted broader problems at Elmore Correctional Facility, an overcrowded and understaffed prison with a history of abusive, neglectful managers.

    Alabama Prison Crisis

    ‘They told me he belonged to the state’: Slain Alabama prisoner’s mother kept in dark as her son lay dying

    By Adeshina Emmanuel | March 4, 2020

    Her experience echoes other troubling accounts about how Alabama prison officials handle critically injured or sick prisoners and their families during medical crises, and how little they reveal about those cases, even when inmates die.

    Alabama Prison Crisis

    Alabama prison officials have troubling history of issuing ‘do not resuscitate’ orders without consent

    By Adeshina Emmanuel | March 3, 2020

    The family of Marquette Cummings sued the Alabama prison system in 2015 after doctors took him off life support under instructions from a warden.

    Alabama Prison Crisis

    Secret report: Alabama guards allegedly beat, hog-tied, ignored inmate who later died

    By Adeshina Emmanuel | February 18, 2020

    Alabama investigators detailed the brutal events that led to Billy Smith’s death — including dousing him with water while unresponsive and a nurse who refused to treat him.

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    Injustice Watch is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism organization that conducts in-depth research exposing institutional failures that obstruct justice and equality.

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