The Supreme Court’s recent decision to not hear the Mckesson v. Doe case has put long-held protest rights into question, prompting strong condemnation from civil rights advocates. At the heart of the issue is the question of whether groups or individuals that organize protests in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi can be held responsible for any injuries or damage that occurs during the event – even if the organizer clearly played no role in the damage.

The decision to not take the case leaves confusion on what is the standard law around protest rights moving forward. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that an unnamed officer (“Doe”) could sue the leader of a Black Lives Matter rally (Mckesson) in Baton Rouge after being injured by a rock thrown by an unnamed protestor that was not affiliated with putting the event together. The case was first brought to the Supreme Court in 2020, where the court instructed the 5th Circuit to seek the Louisiana Supreme Court’s guidance on whether Doe’s case was eligible by state law. The state Supreme Court determined that Mckesson, the protest leader, could be sued for damages which brought the case back before the United States Supreme Court where it was ultimately rejected from being heard.

In response to recent attempts to limit the scope of public demonstrations, Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director of Alabama Values, voiced strong opposition, emphasizing the critical role of protests in democratic societies. Hardy stated, “Protests have always been at the heart of transformative movements, from the civil rights marches that rewrote the rules of our nation to the global outcry for climate and social justice. They embody our collective power to challenge and dismantle entrenched norms. Now, with increasing efforts to restrict or ban protests, our First Amendment rights are under direct attack. These unconstitutional measures strike at the core of our democracy and freedom. We must advocate against these measures and uphold our right to speak and act for change.”

Ashley Shelton, Executive Director of Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (Louisiana), and Nsombi Lambright, Executive Director of One Voice (Mississippi), are two of many community leaders in the three directly-impacted states raising their voices in opposition to the threat on constitutional freedoms. Shelton captured the sentiment of many, stating, “I have been speaking about this for some time! How can my 2nd Amendment rights be more protected than my 1st Amendment rights? It doesn’t make sense and is an affront to the very heart of the United States Constitution!” Lambright reinforced the urgency of the matter, declaring, “While this court continues to find ways to violate our Constitutional rights, we will continue to stand with communities in protest to this decision and any other decision that threatens our human rights.”

The Mckesson v. Doe case represented a pivotal opportunity to challenge the constitutionality of laws that impede the right to protest. By choosing not to hear the case, the Supreme Court has effectively upheld the lower court rulings, leaving the fate of constitutional freedoms uncertain. This decision not only undermines the principles of democracy but also sets a dangerous precedent for the future of civil liberties in America.

The attack on protest rights isn’t a new one. Proceeding legislative policies against this constitutional freedom include Tennessee passing bills that felonize certain methods of protest, Alabama’s currently proposed anti-protest bill (SB 57), and the city of Florence, Alabama going so far as to ban unamplified voices from being too loud during protests in their downtown area. While the attacks on protest rights aren’t new, this decision by the 5th Circuit – and the lack of a decision by the United States Supreme Court – leave protesting rights in a more perilous position than ever.

As communities grapple with the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in our defense of constitutional rights. The voices of dissent must not be silenced, and the right to fight for justice and equality must continue unabated.

Cover image from deray.com

The Ordinary People Society (TOPS) in partnership with Alabama Values, Transform Alabama, Black Voters Matter, HICA, Lift our Vote, and others, hosted an early screening of “The Alabama Solution”, a documentary about the Alabama prison system, in Selma, AL, October 12.

Selma is not just a five letter word. It is history. It represents blood sweat and tears poured out in the name of civil rights.

“Selma was the site of one of the most significant events in the civil rights movement — Bloody Sunday. To protest the obstacles faced by Black voters and the murder of activist Jimmie Lee Jackson, peaceful demonstrators attempted to march across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge and were met with violence at the hands of state troopers. Footage of the brutal attacks shocked the nation and eventually spurred the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” said the US Civil Rights Trail.

“The film offers an unfiltered view inside a system where overcrowding, untreated addiction and violence are routine, and where official oversight is almost nonexistent,” said The Marshall Project, in a recent article.

Scenes from the documentary show blood-streaked walls and trash-strewn corridors where men wander as if they’re in trances — a haunting reality of the neglect present inside Alabama’s prisons.

Co-director Andrew Jarecki, in a recent article by AL News stated, “We want to show viewers the truth about a system that has been cloaked in secrecy. We hope the film sparks an effort to allow access for journalists and others so the public can have transparency into how incarcerated citizens are treated and how our tax dollars are being spent. We hope to inspire Alabama’s leadership to acknowledge the crisis and to overhaul its prison system and its use of forced labor.”

“The Alabama Solution” should spark conversation within your community and those around you — there has to be a change.

According to the Alabama Reflector, “The Montgomery premiere is among about 60 community screenings that are scheduled nationwide. Half are set for Alabama.”

No one should go through the treatment depicted in this documentary. It is the harsh reality for many incarcerated citizens within the Alabama prison system—but it is not their story. This is about God-given rights every individual is entitled to.

This is not about politics— it is about the simple truth that people do not deserve to get treated like animals.

Get in touch with local lawmakers, Advocate for change, Don’t sit silently when our voice is needed more than ever.

Don’t miss future screenings:

• October 26- Dothan Civic Center (Learn more here)

• November 5- Alabama A&M University (Learn more here)

• November 22- Huntsville Progressive Union Missionary Baptist (Learn more here)

Watch “The Alabama Solution” streaming on HBO now.

Birmingham, AL – Three Alabama organizations are coming together for a year-round narrative campaign that will educate, engage, and mobilize communities and policymakers around the fight for justice reform. Alabama Values is partnering with The Beacon Center and Alabama Justice Initiative to bring together state-based organizations that have spent years working through various avenues to create a more just justice system. The campaign kicks off on July 31st at The Summit AMC theater in Birmingham with a 6pm screening of the A24 film, Sing Sing. The event is free, open to the public, and will include a community discussion after the film. Reservations can be made here.

Sing Sing is based on the real-life theater program of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. The film features an all-star cast including Academy Award Nominee Colman Domingo alongside formerly incarcerated individuals that participated in the actual Sing Sing theater program. The stunning look into an often hidden world shows the power of the arts in rehabilitation, and the film has received critical acclaim for doing so. The screening is made possible by a partnership between Alabama Values, A24, and The Just Trust.

“Creating fairer, more humane systems of justice and safety in this country requires a lot more than just policy change. It requires us to see people as people, even those who’ve made mistakes. That’s where storytelling — and beautiful films like Sing Sing — come in,” shares Jenna LeDoux of The Just Trust on the importance of the screening, “We hope that people will see beyond traditional labels, and challenge their assumptions about people behind bars. Sing Sing shows us that cultivating joy, play, and deep relationships is key to healing and rehabilitation — we need more of this in our justice system, not less.”

While criminal justice reform is a conversation that needs to happen on a national level, Alabama’s rank at the top in terms of fatalities and overcrowding makes it an even more crucial location for a new approach to rehabilitation and incarceration. “At Alabama Values, our mission is to amplify the voices of underrepresented and underserved communities in the fight for systemic change,” shares Alabama Values Executive Director Anneshia Hardy, “The Justice in Focus initiative is a call to action for Alabamians to learn more and get involved with justice reform in Alabama. I hope attendees leave the private screening informed and inspired.”

While most Americans recognize there are flaws in the current justice system, there is still a disconnect in the calling for true change. Justice in Focus uses three different objectives to encourage Alabamians to reimagine the state’s public safety and justice system. These objectives are:

1. Raise awareness about the disparities and unfair practices in Alabama’s justice system.

2. Engage the community through cultural events, visual storytelling, and strategic messaging.

3. Advocate for policy change at local and state levels.

The methods for achieving these goals fuse narrative storytelling with policy advocacy, including cultural events like the ‘Sing Sing’ screening, visual storytelling, artivism, messaging research, petitions, accountability websites for state legislatures, public forums, and communication support for justice reform coalitions in Alabama.

“Justice in Focus is important to get the narrative out to people as a whole,” shares Alabama Justice Initiative Deputy Director Veronica Johnson, “This is a great opportunity to present the narrative of Alabama Justice Initiative to people who may normally not have the chance to focus on what we are doing.”

“Our shared commitment to supporting our neighbors and fostering a just, inclusive community drives this collaboration,” shares Pastor Richard Williams, “At The Beacon Center, we believe in the transformative power of unity and advocacy, and the Justice in Focus initiative will make a impact. Together, we will work tirelessly to create lasting change and uplift those we serve.”

For more information on Justice in Focus kickoff and to RSVP, visit www.alvalues.org/event/singsing and follow Alabama Values on social media.

Alabama Values is a grassroots communications organization working to raise awareness and increase engagement around community issues in Alabama. They work directly with grassroots civic organizations advocating to build power and break down barriers to civic participation for communities across the state.

Founded in 2021, The Just Trust is a leading supporter of justice reform and public safety innovation in the United States. It works to power state and national advocacy efforts, media work, and narrative change campaigns across the country and across political divides to transform the criminal justice system in America into a smarter, more humane engine of justice and safety that makes our communities stronger. Learn more at TheJustTrust.org

Alabama Justice Initiative’s vision is to build power through policy, advocacy, civic engagement, and organizing those impacted by the criminal legal system.

The Beacon Center exists to remove barriers from our neighbors so that they can have a better life.

There aren’t many things that you can get the majority of Alabamians to agree on with ease. Favorite football team? Prepare for a heated conversation. Politics? That’s no walk in the park of guaranteed agreement either. Surprisingly, one thing that has brought together people from every walk of life in Alabama is the urgent need to fix the state’s failing parole system.

This fact became more clear than ever in 2023, when the state’s parole grant rate was a historic low 8%. This led to a large increase in public pushback on how the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles determines who is eligible for approval, and why so many are being denied—even as the state is facing a lawsuit from the Department of Justice for overcrowded prisons. Alabama Values and Alabama Justice Initiative recently hosted a panel as part of the Justice in Focus initiative that reimagines public safety in Alabama. The panel featured some of the many people that are impacted by or play a role in improving the state’s parole system.

The discussion was led by Alabama Justice Initiative’s Deputy Director, Veronica Johnson, and featured ACLU of Alabama Legal Director Alison Mollman, SPLC Senior Policy Associate Katie Glenn, Alabama CURE Board Member Pat Vandermeer, and John Woods, a man that experienced the Alabama parole system. The full briefing can be found here.

The evening’s moderator, Veronica, started the discussion off with an overview of what attendees could expect before asking John Woods the first question. Woods spoke on the personal devastation he felt after being denied the first time he was up for parole. “It bothered me a lot mentally. I was destroyed for about a year or so because I had expectations that I was told from the beginning. ‘You do this many amount of years and if you do right, you’ll be released.’ That’s what was told to me 10 years before I came up (for parole) one time. After that, I started losing confidence and faith,” John shared in a moment that impacted many listeners who had family members inside of Alabama prisons. He went on to share how board workers’ false promises of him getting out at future dates negatively impacted his parents’ health.

The discussion then focused on changes that the parole board faced in 2019. Katie Glenn shared a few negatively impactful moments including a reactionary law that essentially locked down parole in Alabama and long-time famously “tough on crime” Alabama politician Charlie Graddick being appointed as Director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles—which led to no parole hearings for months. Alison Mollman laid out the consequences of these legislative and executive decisions clearly, saying “People are dying in Alabama’s prisons and their work release facilities because they are being denied parole.”

Pat Vandermeer shared her perspective of being in Alabama prisons 3 days a week and witnessing the people inside’s response to the parole rate dropping to near-zero. “What I was seeing and hearing from the men was hopelessness. ‘Why do I need a GED? It’s not going to help me’,” she recalled hearing, “What we saw was more drugs and more violence in the facilities. We’ve got to change this because there’s a lot of men and women who’ve transformed their lives and need to be back in the community.”

Key resources were referenced throughout, including a mention of The People’s Parole Reform Coalition which many of the speakers are a member of. Katie informed listeners of their right to comment on the state’s parole system and ensure that the Board makes adjustments every 3 years. Alison responded to an audience question on how people can document injustices faced inside prison by offering that people reach out to an organization such as ACLU of Alabama to help gather these reports and send them to the Department of Justice.

Some common sense legislative options were also mentioned. One proposed bill includes parole board accountability (proposed by Rep. Chris England), which would require the board to follow the guidelines that are in place for approval. Another proposed bill would give those up for parole the ability to virtually be present in their hearing. Alabama is one of only two states that doesn’t currently allow attendance during a hearing, which removes the human element from the process. Pat Vandermeer mentioned that another bill focused on parole for the elderly and sick. She put it plainly by stating that “our prisons are becoming nursing homes” and her experience of celebrating a 104th birthday inside of a prison.

The Locked In panel told us many things we already know about Alabama’s parole system. The most important: it is failing the people it is supposed to help. But the briefing also gave us further insights into why these problems are caused, how they can be fixed, and a look at some of the organizations working hard to make a better parole system in Alabama a reality.

This article was originally written by Ralph Chapoco for Alabama Reflector

John Woods was told that if he reformed himself, he would get an opportunity for parole and the chance to move on with his life.

With that understanding, Woods, who served 18 years of a life sentence for a reckless murder charge but did not fire the weapon involved, worked to meet the parole requirements.

It was a decade of work before he became parole eligible. He entered into programs to learn a trade and further his education while waiting for his turn before the Board. He was denied. Five years later, Woods was denied again, and required to wait for four years.

“After the first time getting denied, it bothered me,” Woods said. “I was destroyed for a year because I had this expectation. I had been told from the beginning that if you do these many years, and if you do them right, then you would be released.”

Finally, after getting denied twice, he was granted parole in 2020.

“It started to take a toll on my mother and on my father,” Woods said. “After the first time they said, ‘Well, we will let it go.’ The next time after five years after getting denied, then I came back up, I was denied again and turned down. You come up again, fear and doubt set in, and it goes through your mind.”

Woods was part of a panel of speakers Monday hosted by Alabama Values, a civil rights organization.

The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles has gotten national scrutiny as parole rates have fallen in Alabama. According to a 2023 policy brief from the Prison Policy Initiative, Alabama’s parole grant rate fell 67% between 2019 and 2022, the largest drop in the nation. In South Carolina, the grant rate declined by 63%. Maryland’s parole grants dropped 54%, and Oklahoma’s fell 45%.

That decline paralleled a national parole rate decline between 2019 and 2022. The brief stated that of the 29 states from which the organization collected parole rates in 2022, 23 saw parole grants decline.

Alabama’s 10% parole grant rate in 2022 was the lowest in the policy brief. According to the annual report from the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, the rate for granting parole for fiscal year 2023 was slightly more than 8%. South Carolina’s was 7% based on the policy brief from the Prison Policy Initiative.

The Alabama Legislature changed the parole system in 2019 after Jimmy O’Neal Spencer, misclassified by the Alabama Department of Corrections as a nonviolent offender, was paroled in 2017. While on parole in 2018, Spencer murdered three people, including a 7-year-old, in the course of a series of robberies.

“The Alabama Legislature locked down parole for everyone in Alabama,” said Katie Glenn, senior policy associate for the Southern Poverty Law Center who served on the panel.

Despite a recent increase in parole grants, the numbers remain below 2017, when roughly half of applicants had been granted parole.

Members of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles are supposed to base their decisions on established guidelines meant to gauge whether a person has been rehabilitated. Some of the elements include disciplinary violations, particular violent ones, and programs that a person completed, including education and workforce development training.

The different components are then graded and are compiled to provide a score that then offers a recommendation whether a person should be granted parole.

However, the board is not required to adhere to the guidelines. Legislation introduced by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, that would require board members to justify parole denials that deviate from the guidelines has not advanced.

“The guidelines that the parole board uses, if they actually followed them, something like 70% of the people who are up for parole would be paroled,” Glenn said.

Advocates said that efforts to keep parole rates low can have dramatic consequences for those who are incarcerated, dampening their motivations to behave properly while in prison and working to get rehabilitated.

“Literally people are dying in Alabama’s prisons and at their work release facilities because they are getting denied parole,” said Alison Mollman, interim legal director for the ACLU of Alabama. “Every week, we hear about a tragedy. We hear about people on work release getting struck by a car and getting killed while doing road service. We hear about homicides at level four prisons.”

Legislators passed a bill increasing staff within DOC specifically to provide services to constituents to call into prison facilities to inquire about those incarcerated.

And more lawmakers attended Joint Prison Oversight Committee meetings than as recently as 2022 when people spoke at hearings on behalf of their loved ones.

“Since then, I have been in conversations with legislators, I have heard that we are in a moment where something might happen, where something might change, where people who previously had disagreed with us might be interested in having a conversation,” Glenn said.

Alabama – Justice In Focus, a collaborative campaign led by Alabama Values that is designed to encourage Alabamians to rethink public safety, is hosting a community briefing on Monday, October 14th, at 6pm. The first briefing, Locked In: Reimagining Parole In Alabama will be led by Alabama Justice Initiative’s Deputy Director, Veronica Johnson, and feature the ACLU of Alabama’s Legal Director Alison Mollman, Southern Poverty Law Center Senior Policy Associate Katie Glenn, Alabama CURE Board Member Pat Vandermeer, and John Woods—who has been directly impacted by Alabama’s parole system. The briefing will be livestreamed on Alabama Values website, as well as Alabama Values social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

“Rethinking public safety in Alabama means addressing the broken parole system that keeps too many people locked in without a fair chance at rehabilitation,” said Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director of Alabama Values. “We must focus on solutions that prioritize justice, equity, and the well-being of our communities.”

Alabama’s parole system has faced amplified scrutiny in recent years, with the parole approval rate dropping to a staggeringly-low 8% in 2023. This drop in parole came while the Alabama Department of Corrections was facing a still-ongoing lawsuit for prison overcrowding. The parole rate has risen slightly in 2024, but there are still many issues with the state’s current system. Some of the state’s top legal and policy experts will be meeting with those who’ve experienced the system first-hand to inform Alabamians on the issues with the parole system to date, and what can be done to improve the situation.

“Alabama’s parole system has tools in place to determine if someone should be released or remain in prison,” shares the briefing’s moderator Veronica Johnson, “Oftentimes they don’t take their own advice when it comes to releasing people.” Alison Mollman, Legal Director with ACLU of Alabama, notices similar characteristics about the present parole rate in the state, sharing that “There are people incarcerated in Alabama who pose no risk to public safety and have earned the opportunity to be released on parole. We must pay attention to what’s happening with our parole system in Alabama to ensure that these individuals can safely and responsibly come home.”

Residents, publications, and legislators across the state agree that the parole system must find a new path forward. Locked In: Reimagining Parole in Alabama turns to those closer to the problem to find the answers. Register for the livestream here.

Selma, AL — October 12, 2025 — The Ordinary People Society (TOPS), in partnership with Alabama Values, Transform Alabama, Black Voters Matter, HICA, Lift our Vote, and others, will host a free community screening of the new HBO Original Documentary The Alabama Solution. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Andrew Jarecki (The Jinx), the documentary debuts nationwide on HBO and Max on October 10 and provides an unflinching look into the daily survival stories of men incarcerated inside Alabama’s prisons.

The Selma screening will be among the first in the nation, held at George P. Evans Reception Center on Sunday, October 12 at 1:00 PM. Admission is free, and attendees will be invited to share a complimentary soul food dinner following the program.

The film comes at a pivotal moment as Alabama’s prison system faces growing national scrutiny for unconstitutional conditions and inhumane treatment. Kenneth Glasgow of KSG Ministries reflected on why a film like this matters:

“It is one thing to protest, rally, and hear from families about the abuse and inhumane treatment that you’ve been advocating for help for the past 30 years. But to see it and visualize it in real time has a totally different impact. People that are incarcerated or that have been incarcerated, are PEOPLE. Not inmates, not convicts, not felons, not offenders, but PEOPLE!!!”

For movement partners, the screenings represent more than a film, they are part of a collective strategy to ensure the voices of those incarcerated are heard beyond prison walls. Dr. Adia Winfrey, Co-Founder of Transform Alabama, emphasized this responsibility:

“The men on the inside were courageous and strategic enough to share their stories. It is now on us to ensure their voices reach the masses. This is why Transform Alabama proudly unites with The Ordinary People’s Society and other groups for The Alabama Solution film screenings.”

Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director of Alabama Values, added that the screenings highlight storytelling itself as a form of resistance and liberation:

“Storytelling has always been one of our most powerful tools for survival. By sharing their truths, the men inside are resisting the erasure of their humanity. And by carrying those stories forward, we are building a collective narrative of liberation, one that refuses to accept oppression as the norm in Alabama or anywhere else.”

Artistic voices are also amplifying the message. Jessica Fortune Barker, President of the Alabama Association for the Arts, Inc. and Lift Our Vote, noted the power of film in this moment:

“This film shows storytelling at its highest purpose — bringing truth to light. The Alabama Solution captures the inhumane conditions in Alabama’s prisons and forces us to confront what too many have ignored. Every person deserves humane treatment, and those returning home deserve support that nurtures restoration, not just release. Every issue, including human rights for those incarcerated, is a voting issue.”

Adding to this, Deanna Reed, Alabama State Organizer for Black Voters Matter, drew the connection between prisons, safety, and democracy:

“At Black Voters Matter, we believe real safety and justice come from strong, resourced communities, not cages. Our work is rooted in dismantling the systems that criminalize Blackness and building a future that protects, restores, and values every life.”

Finally, Rodreshia Russaw, Executive Director of The Ordinary People’s Society (TOPS), grounded the Selma event as both a moral and collective call:

“The Alabama Solution is not just an ordinary film; it is a call to action, urging us to confront what we can no longer ignore. It serves as a humbling reminder that incarceration impacts us all across this great nation.”

The Selma screening is the first stop in a series of statewide events organized by TOPS and partners, with additional screenings planned in Dothan, Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery. Each event is designed not only to show the film but also to spark dialogue, healing, and collective action around the state’s prison crisis.

Event Details

• What: Free Community Screening of HBO’s The Alabama Solution

• When: Sunday, October 12, 2025 – 1:00 PM
  Where: George P. Evans Reception Center, 2 Lawrence Street, Selma, AL 36703
  Admission: Free | Complimentary Soul Food Dinner Provided

• RSVP: alvalues.org/event/alabamasolution

• Download Event Flyer

Press RSVP/Interviews:

For media inquiries, interview requests, or to confirm attendance, please contact Anneshia Hardy at media@alvalues.org or 205-602-2811.