The Justice Department investigation found “rampant” abuse in the Alabama prison system and failure by the Alabama Department of Corrections to protect prisoners from rape, torture, and physical assault.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the Justice Department said the “ADOC is not adequately protecting” from abuse and that “sexual abuse is highly prevalent in ADOC correctional facilities.”
The DOJ highlighted one prison with “blind spots” where “rapes, torture, and physical assaults” routinely took place, with prison guards refusing to enter or intervene in that area “unless someone is killed and they have to come clean up the aftermath.” The report said similar areas in other prisons were still operating at the time of the report’s publication.
“Because of inadequate supervision, correctional officers do not observe the rampant sexual abuse, they do not intervene, and the cycle of abuse continues,” the letter said.
The DOJ found the abuse was fueled by a system which punished victims who reported abuse by other prisoners and had a “chilling effect on reporting.”
The DOJ said the condition of the Alabama prison system was in “severe” and “systematic” violation of the Eighth Amendment and its prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Ivey responded Wednesday morning with a statement.
“Over the coming months, my Administration will be working closely with DOJ to ensure that our mutual concerns are addressed and that we remain steadfast in our commitment to public safety, making certain that this Alabama problem has an Alabama solution,” the Republican governor said.
