Check out the following THREAD https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread"> to learn the events that led up to today’s Virtual Rally to #ReleaseNOW, as well as, what is being done in Alabama to fight for criminal justice reform.

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Public health officials have warned that prisons are hot spots for the transmission of COVID-19 due to:

- incarcerated people being unable to social distance
- incarcerated people having pre-existing health conditions
- daily foot traffic coming in and out

#ReleaseNOW

And yet — despite these predictions and the fact that Alabama prisons already operate 70% overcapacity — the state failed to mitigate risks to the incarcerated population by proactively granting release.

#ReleaseNOW

Instead in March, @ALBPP actually CANCELED parole hearings before eventually reviewing their decision in April. They decided to resume parole hearings today on May 19th. But this two-month hiatus has had harmful effects.

#ReleaseNOW https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/alabama-parole-board-to-resume-hearings-under-emergency-order.html">https://www.al.com/news/2020...

Our recent Campaign for Smart Justice report shows that the past 2 months of inactivity from @ALBPP has only increased the:

- extreme overcrowding of Alabama prisons
- growing backlog of parole hearings

Both of which are pre-COVID issues.

#ReleaseNOW https://alabamasmartjustice.org/report/parole-hearing-backlog">https://alabamasmartjustice.org/report/pa...

The report also reveals that in Alabama:

- 15% of incarcerated people were eligible for a parole hearing BEFORE April 1, 2020
- the current parole board has DENIED release for 85% of considered cases
- approx. 300 people become ELIGIBLE for parole each month

#ReleaseNOW

Starting today, Alabama& #39;s parole board must employ a wise approach. @bshelburne said it best:

"It’s not enough to just resume hearings. To mitigate the swelling backlog, @ALBPP must aggressively increase the number of scheduled hearings."

#ReleaseNOW https://www.alreporter.com/2020/04/24/opinion-resuming-parole-hearings-is-not-enough/">https://www.alreporter.com/2020/04/2...

AFJ has worked to:

- fill legislative monthly prison reform meetings
- hold a march and rally in Downtown Montgomery
- hold a lobby day at the Alabama State House
to draw state and national attention to the dire conditions of Alabama prisons

#ReleaseNOW https://www.wsfa.com/2020/02/19/dozens-lobby-statehouse-criminal-justice-reform/">https://www.wsfa.com/2020/02/1...

"This death was what our coalition feared when we called on @ADOC over a month ago..."

The coalition recently released a statement after the first COVID-19 related death of an incarcerated person in a state facility. Read it here.

#ReleaseNOW https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/opinion/2020/04/29/stopping-covid-19-spread-must-include-prison-release/3050487001/">https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/opi...