Alabama Has 26,214 People In Prison. We Can Reduce That Number.
Imprisonment is brutal, costly, and ineffective. Incarceration traumatizes people and hurts families and communities.
It should be the last option, not the first. Yet Alabama has one of the most overcrowded systems in the country.
One out of every six bills introduced
in 2023 punishes Alabamians.
Learn why.
Featured Stories
Read the stories of people directly impacted by the Alabama prison system.
Our Work
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Description teUnjust and for-profit bail systems needlessly lock up millions of people who haven't been convicted of a crime just because they can't afford to pay bail. We're overhauling this harmful system that strips people of their rights, targets poor people and people of color, and hurts families and communities.
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We must reduce both the number of people entering jails and prisons, and the extreme laws and policies that drive extraordinarily long prison terms.
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Each year, 600,000 men and women nationwide return from prison to their communities. Yet the challenges do not end once the prison bars are lifted. They face nearly 50,000 federal, state, and local legal restrictions that make it difficult to reintegrate back into society. We are working to end the collateral consequences that are imposed on people living with a criminal record.
JOIN US
It’s time for Alabama to get smart on justice. The ACLU of Alabama advocates for criminal legal reform that is dedicated to rehabilitation and restoration that will support public safety, instead of increasing the number of people in jail and in prison.
We must speak out and let our elected officials know that we support an end to the fixation with incarceration and to begin to focus on strategies that will actually improve our communities instead.