MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it believes Alabama’s prisons for men are unconstitutional because inmates are subjected to excessive force at the hands of prison staff.
This is the second time within 18 months that the Justice Department has accused Alabama of housing male inmates in unconstitutional conditions in a prison system considered one of the most understaffed and violent in the country.
The department said Thursday that correctional officers in multiple prisons have pleaded guilty or been convicted of using excessive force against prisoners, including one incident when at least four officers beat a prisoner to death.