Alabama lawmakers advance a bill for parole board oversight

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a bill to put oversight on the state’s parole board that has garnered national attention for low parole rates.

The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill by Rep. Chris England, a Democrat from Tuscaloosa. The bill now moves to the full Alabama House of Representatives.

The bill would create the Criminal Justice Policy Development Council to oversee the development of guidelines for release on parole. The three board members would continue to decide whether inmates are paroled. However, the board would be required to provide a written explanation when a decision deviates from the guidelines.

“I think it’s a recognition that the current Parole Board and the process itself is broken,” England said after the committee vote.

Alabama’s parole rate has plummeted over recent years. The percentage of inmates being granted parole after their hearing fell from 53% in 2018 to a historic low of 8% in 2023. The rate rose back to about 20% in 2024.

The bill advanced in the wake of an October meeting when Alabama lawmakers sharply questioned the head of the state parole board about their low release rates and why lawmakers had not received information they requested months ago from the board.