September 26, 2024
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For more than nine years, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) voluntarily subjected itself to oversight by a federal court regarding its operation of Tutwiler Women’s Facility. While the department appreciates the need to continuously evaluate its operations, the department worked diligently since the inception of the investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to remedy known problems at Tutwiler. Today, the State of Alabama and the DOJ jointly moved to terminate 38 of the 44 provisions in this Consent Decree.
In response to the termination motion, ADOC Commissioner John Q. Hamm said, “I am thankful for the men and women who are dedicated to our mission at Tutwiler. This joint motion to terminate most of the requirements on this consent decree is a credit to our entire team and their dedication to our department and our state. We look forward to ending all court oversight of Tutwiler in the near future.”
The ADOC continues to maintain that no basis exists for any interference by the DOJ or continued oversight by the federal court in the day-to-day operations of this facility. As often said by Governor Kay Ivey, “An Alabama solution remains the best solution for the State of Alabama.” Today, the department took an important step in implementing its Alabama solution.