Instances of fighting and assaults on staff within Alabama prisons have increased, according to a new report from the Alabama Department of Corrections. The report shows a 13% increase in fights among inmates and a 5% increase in assaults on staff compared to the previous year. In August alone, there were 93 fights and 57 assaults on staff, up from the previous year.
While inmate-on-inmate assaults were down, there was a significant increase in disciplines for minor and major infractions. The report also highlighted the overcrowding in medium and high security facilities, with Ventress Correctional Facility and Limestone Correctional Facility seeing the highest number of assaults.
The rise in violence within Alabama’s prisons has been attributed to overcrowding and low parole rates. The state has released inmates on parole at one of the lowest rates in the country, only 8% last year. The report also noted a staffing shortage of around 2,000 correctional officers since 2017, despite a pay increase for officers last year.
This report comes ahead of the third meeting of the Joint Prison Oversight Committee, where family members of incarcerated individuals shared stories of violence and murder within the state’s prisons. As of August 31, the total incarcerated population in Alabama was 27,428, showing an increase from the previous year.
The ongoing issues within Alabama’s prison system continue to be a concern for lawmakers and the public, as efforts are being made to address the violence and overcrowding in the state’s correctional facilities.
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