Montgomery, Ala. — Today, Charlie Graddick, director of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, spoke at a press conference to address the postponed parole hearings.
The Alabamians for Fair Justice coalition released the following statement in response:
“As coalition members working for a safer, more just Alabama, we are dismayed by Charlie Graddick’s statements earlier today suggesting that people with a violent offense should not be considered for parole. Alabama prisons are horrifically overcrowded and unconstitutionally violent. For Graddick to convey the message that the state should keep as many people locked up for as long as possible demonstrates a fundamental disregard of not only Alabama’s current prison crisis, but also the long legacy of racial and geographic disparity in our criminal sentences.
The majority of people in Alabama prisons are considered violent by statutory definition. Many crimes not defined as violent by federal law or in other states, including burglary, drug trafficking, extortion and witness intimidation, are considered violent by Alabama’s overly broad definition. This has painted many people with a broad brush and ignores the reality that people can grow and change beyond poor decisions that lead to criminal behavior. We hope the members of Alabama’s parole board will continue using evidence-based practices to evaluate parole eligibility and are able to shut out the political noise aimed to further a chilling effect on parole grants.
Reducing paroles means more people will end their sentences and return to communities with no supervision and often no reentry services. This is not smart public safety policy. Given the traumatic and violent conditions in Alabama prisons, reentry assistance is more crucial than ever.
Parole should not be a chance to retry a case that has already been settled in criminal court. People considered for parole have been convicted and have served time in prison to pay for their crimes. Evidence-based risk assessments and a fair determination of a person’s record in prison should be utilized for parole judgments, not just facts from crimes that may have been committed years or decades ago. Any broad opposition to granting parole will ensure that Alabama prisons remain horrifically overcrowded and many people who no longer belong in prison will be excluded from re-entering society and reuniting with their families and communities.”
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Alabamians for Fair Justice is a coalition made up of formerly incarcerated individuals and family members of those currently or recently serving time in Alabama’s prisons, advocates, and civil justice organizations.