Two cases recently elevated by Smart Justice investigative reporting made a huge impact at the December “study group” meeting on Alabama’s prison crisis. Governor Kay Ivey, who has not attended the monthly meetings, formed the group in July to address “the challenges” facing Alabama’s prison system. The latest meeting on December 4 in Montgomery was the only opportunity given for people directly impacted by the crisis to speak publicly to the group. 

Sandy Ray, the mother of Steven Davis, who was beaten to death by correctional officers at Donaldson Correctional Facility in October, spoke at a press conference organized by Alabamians for Fair Justice, a coalition of individuals and advocacy organizations, including ACLU of Alabama. Smart Justice reported on Davis’s death November 22 and broke the news that his death was ruled a homicide due to head injuries and that one of the officers involved in the killing was still working for the Alabama Department of Corrections. 

Read full story at Smart Justice Alabama.