ACLU investigates 'abysmally low' parole rates in Alabama

9 months ago 38

MISCHIEF. NO ONE WAS HURT. BUT EARLIER THIS YEAR, WVTM 13 LEARNED THE ALABAMA BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES DENIED PAROLES AT A 90% CLIP. THAT’S THE FEWEST PAROLES GRANTED EVER RECORDED. WELL, TONIGHT, A NEW REPORT BACKS UP THAT DATA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHOOSING US HERE AT 6:00. I’M BRITTANY DECKER AND I’M IAN REITZ. THE ACLU OF ALABAMA ATTENDED 267 PUBLIC PAROLE HEARINGS OVER THE SUMMER. AND TONIGHT, THEY’RE ADDRESSING WHAT THEY WITNESSED IN A NEW REPORT. WVTM13’S. LISA CRANE FOLLOWING THE STORY CLOSELY FOR US TONIGHT. LISA, LET’S GET TO THIS REPORT. WHAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO YOU? WELL, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF BIG TAKEAWAYS, GUYS, AND ONE OF THEM IS THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT THE PAROLE BOARD IS JUST REALLY A BIG SHAM BECAUSE THESE INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMEN HAVE VERY LITTLE CHANCE OF ACTUALLY BEING GRANTED A PAROLE. AND THAT INSTILLS A SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS, THAT CREATES A POWDER KEG IN ALREADY OVERCROWDED AND UNDERSTAFFED ALABAMA STATE PRISONS. NOW THEY ARE ASKING THE THREE BOARD PANEL TO ACTUALLY START FOLLOWING THEIR OWN RULES. THE ACLU SPENT TEN WEEKS STUDYING THIS BOARD, LISTENING TO THE FAMILIES OF INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMEN PLEAD FOR THEIR RELEASE. AND MORE THAN 90% OF THE TIME HEARING THIS ANSWER, DENIED, DENIED, DENIED, B DENIED PAROLE WILL BE DENIED. WE’RE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL NATIONALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PAROLE GRANT RATES. EVEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE SOUTHERN STATES, ALABAMA IS AN OUTLIER. TYPICALLY, YOU SEE ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 50% AS A GRANT RATE. EVEN IN THE SOUTH. BUT IN ALABAMA, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE’VE BEEN UNDER 10%. ALISON MALVERN WITH THE ACLU SAYS THEY ALSO DOCUMENTED RACIAL DISPARITY IN THE OUTCOMES BLACK PAROLE APPLICANTS IN ALABAMA ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO BE DENIED PAROLE AS WHITE PAROLE APPLICANTS. SO RACE DOES DICTATE OUTCOMES. IN THIS STATE, YOU ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE GRANTED PAROLE IF YOU ARE WHITE THAN IF YOU ARE BLACK. MOULTON SAYS THE BOARD HAS A SET OF GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW WHEN DECIDING WHETHER TO GRANT PAROLE USING THEIR OWN RISK ASSESSMENT SCORES. BUT THEY SAY THERE’S NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO FORCE THEM TO DO SO. PAROLE BOARD SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND START FOLLOWING THEIR RULES. BUT IF THEY WON’T, THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO STEP IN NEXT SESSION AND HAVE SOME TYPE OF ADVISORY BOARD THAT THAT’S GOING TO LOOK OVER WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW. NOW, WE REACHED OUT TO THE PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE ALABAMA BUREAU OF PARDONS AND PAROLE CAM WARD, DECLINED AN ON CAMERA INTERVIEW BUT DID RELEASE A SHORT STATEMENT SAYING, LEGALLY, I AM PROHIBITED FROM BEING INVOLVED IN THE BOARD’S GRANT OR DENIAL RATES. I DO NOT HAVE A ROLE IN THEIR

ACLU says, "Race dictates outcomes in this state"

Earlier this year, WVTM13 learned the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles denied paroles at a 90% clip. That's the fewest paroles granted ever recorded. Now, a new report backs up that data. The ACLU of Alabama attended 267 public parole hearings over the summer. They’re addressing what they witnessed in a new report. There are several big takeaways in the report.They say the whole process is pretty much a sham because incarcerated men and women have very little chance of receiving parole and that instills a sense of hopelessness that creates a powder keg in already overcrowded and understaffed state prisons. Now, they’re asking the three-member parole board to start following their own rules.The ACLU spent 10 weeks studying the board, listening to the families of incarcerated men and women plead for their release and more than 90% of the time, hearing this answer: “Denied, denied, denied.”Alison Mollman is the legal director for the ACLU of Alabama.She said, “We're at the bottom of the barrel nationally when it comes to parole grant rates, even if you look at the southern states, Alabama is an outlier. Typically, you see anywhere from 20 to 50% as a grant rate, even in the South. But in Alabama, for the last two years, we've been under 10%.”Mollman says they also documented racial disparity in the outcomes.She said, “Black parole applicants in Alabama are twice as likely to be denied parole as white parole applicants. So, race does dictate outcomes in this state. You are much more likely to be granted parole if you are white than if you are black.”She said the board has a set of guidelines to follow when deciding whether to grant parole using their own risk assessment scores, but there's no accountability to force them to do so.She said, “Parole board should do the right thing and start following their rules. But if they won't, the legislature needs to step in next session and have some type of advisory board that's going to look over what's happening.”WVTM13 reached out to the parole board members and the director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Parole. Cam Ward declined an on-camera interview, but released a statement saying, “Legally, I am prohibited from being involved in the board's grant or denial rates. I do not have a role in their decisions."

MONTGOMERY, Ala. —

They say the whole process is pretty much a sham because incarcerated men and women have very little chance of receiving parole and that instills a sense of hopelessness that creates a powder keg in already overcrowded and understaffed state prisons. Now, they’re asking the three-member parole board to start following their own rules.

The ACLU spent 10 weeks studying the board, listening to the families of incarcerated men and women plead for their release and more than 90% of the time, hearing this answer: “Denied, denied, denied.”

Alison Mollman is the legal director for the ACLU of Alabama.

She said, “We're at the bottom of the barrel nationally when it comes to parole grant rates, even if you look at the southern states, Alabama is an outlier. Typically, you see anywhere from 20 to 50% as a grant rate, even in the South. But in Alabama, for the last two years, we've been under 10%.”

Mollman says they also documented racial disparity in the outcomes.

She said, “Black parole applicants in Alabama are twice as likely to be denied parole as white parole applicants. So, race does dictate outcomes in this state. You are much more likely to be granted parole if you are white than if you are black.”

She said the board has a set of guidelines to follow when deciding whether to grant parole using their own risk assessment scores, but there's no accountability to force them to do so.

She said, “Parole board should do the right thing and start following their rules. But if they won't, the legislature needs to step in next session and have some type of advisory board that's going to look over what's happening.”

WVTM13 reached out to the parole board members and the director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Parole. Cam Ward declined an on-camera interview, but released a statement saying, “Legally, I am prohibited from being involved in the board's grant or denial rates. I do not have a role in their decisions."

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