DOTHAN, Ala. — The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) and the state last week filed a motion for summary judgment in a long-running federal lawsuit concerning violence within Alabama’s correctional facilities. The filing came around the same time the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed its own motion for summary judgment, asking a federal judge to rule against the state.
Attorneys representing Alabama argue that the state has actively addressed staffing shortages and safety concerns, directly countering claims of indifference. Bill Lunsford, an attorney for the state, stated in the motion that such efforts defy "any claim that the state has historically acted with indifference or continues to act with any level of indifference on these issues."
Lunsford’s motion detailed that the state reviewed current staffing levels and worked to enhance recruitment and retention of correctional officers. It also outlined the execution of policies for the use of force through "training, investigation, discipline, and criminal referral." Furthermore, the state developed a system to classify people in its custody, which includes screening, risk assessment, regular review, and guidance on where staff would house individuals.
According to Lunsford, the state has "responded reasonably" to threats of violence and should not be deemed to have shown deliberate indifference. The motion highlights that ADOC and Alabama have implemented an inmate classification system and attempted to resolve staffing challenges previously identified by the DOJ.
Despite what the motion described as a persistent national correctional staffing shortage, the state has reportedly invested hundreds of millions of dollars and countless hours from ADOC leadership dedicated to recruiting and retaining correctional officers. As a result, the motion claims, ADOC’s correctional staffing numbers have increased substantially and continue to do so. It also stated that ADOC reconsidered, revised, and improved its policies with the aim of enhancing officer training, performance, and outcomes within its prison system.
The most recent quarterly report indicated that ADOC had approximately 1,400 correctional officers on staff at the end of February. This number was about 200 more than they reported for the same time in 2025, according to the motion. For context, former Commissioner John Hamm stated at a legislative budget meeting in 2024 that there were 2,400 budgeted correctional security positions across all facilities, with 365 vacant at that time.
The state's motion further stated that the agency launched an advertising campaign and hosted numerous events to boost recruitment. In 2020, ADOC hosted 14 hiring events with a total of 849 attendees. In 2021, the agency hosted 17 events, attracting more than 400 attendees.
Specific facilities saw varying changes in staffing. Full-time staff at Bibb Correctional Facility increased from 74.5 to more than 136 between 2022 and 2024, marking an increase of almost 90%, according to the motion. At Donaldson Correctional Facility, correctional staff grew from 122 full-time equivalents (FTE) to approximately 150 FTE. However, staff numbers declined in other facilities, such as Easterling Correctional Facility, where FTEs decreased from 76.5 to 65 from 2022 to 2024.
The motion also asserted that ADOC has policies in place to address allegations of excessive use of force, and that staff followed these procedures. As of June 5, 2023, correctional staff received 400 hours of training at ADOC’s APOSTC Academy, which included instruction on the use of force. A graphic included in the motion indicated a decline in reported excessive use of force complaints, dropping from 2,213 in 2020 to approximately 1,000 in 2023.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice’s motion, filed last Wednesday, asked U.S. District Judge Harold D Mooty III to rule that ADOC has failed to protect people in prison from physical violence, sexual violence, and excessive force by correctional staff, and has also failed to provide safe conditions for incarcerated individuals. The DOJ's 260-page filing provided a range of incidents, arguing that the level of violence within the prisons was unconstitutionally high and that ADOC had not taken adequate steps to address these issues. The motion also accused correctional staff of routinely using excessive force and alleged that leadership within the department was "deliberately indifferent to the serious risk of substantial harm."
Alabama prisons have faced challenges with violence and overcrowding for decades. The U.S. Department of Justice initiated its lawsuit against the state in 2020, following a series of reports detailing physical and sexual assaults of inmates. The DOJ contended that conditions in state prisons violated inmates’ Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. A message seeking comment was sent to the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.