The Alabama Attorney General today filed a lawsuit against the early release of nearly 400 inmates on Tuesday, accusing the families of the victims were not properly notified of their release.
Lawsuits filed by Attorney General Steve Marshall against Alabama parole and parole commissioner Kam Ward and Alabama corrections commissioner Jon Hamm seek to delay the early release of 369 inmates due to leave Alabama prison on Tuesday. is seeking
“This complaint seeks the early release of an inmate currently detained by the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) under the supervision of the Alabama Office of Pardons and Paroles (ABPP) until (Ham) takes legally required action. “Inmate Victim Notice,” the lawsuit complaint states.
“Under Alabama Law 2021-549, because the victims have not been notified of the release of the inmates, currently scheduled for January 31, 2023, the state has issued an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order on a separate motion. We are also seeking,” the lawsuit states.
The release, which places early released inmates under the supervision of the Alabama Department of Pardons, is based on a bill passed by the state legislature in 2021. Inmates will be released from correctional facilities across the state, although the parole and Alabama Department of Corrections said they would not be released to the media, according to a notice obtained by AL.com from the Alabama Department of Pardons. Those without transportation from prison by friends or family will be taken to a nearby bus stop and dropped off.
Each released inmate will be equipped with an ankle monitor. Most of the inmates included in Tuesday’s release are expected to complete their sentences and be released from prison later this year, and many will be released within the next few months.
Ward said Monday that his agency complies with the law.
“The law was passed in 2021, so we will follow it as written. We will enforce it,” Ward said.
Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 2 in 2021 to provide for the mandatory early release of certain inmates. The law will take effect January 31, prompting its release on Tuesday.
“Based on the length of the inmate’s sentence, the inmate will be released three to twelve months early and will be monitored by the Amnesty and Parole Board for the remainder of their sentence and will be subject to electronic surveillance for a period of time. A time determined by the Director of Pardons and Parole, according to.
“All violent crimes leave the victim or the family of the victim behind. We have long recognized the right of victims of crime, or their families, to receive malpractice,” Marshall writes.
ADOC had contact information for fewer than 20 victims, according to Marshall’s lawsuit.
“ADOC has not fulfilled its legal obligation to notify victims of the early release of offenders from prison and, failing to fulfill this obligation by January 31, 2023, ADOC will legally release them. They cannot be legally accepted by the Amnesty and Parole Commission, and those inmates will be released early.”
Neither ADOC nor ABPP responded in court records.
