MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama is set to let people seeking parole participate in their own hearings remotely, a modest but notable change in a prison system that has faced years of criticism over violence, overcrowding and deaths behind bars. The bill, SB240, has passed the Legislature and was awaiting Gov. Kay Ivey’s approval as of Wednesday.
Under current law, incarcerated people cannot attend their parole hearings, leaving the Board of Pardons and Paroles to decide cases without hearing directly from the applicant. SB240 would change that by requiring the board to allow participation by telephone, video conference or another similar communications system that lets the inmate interact with board members.
The measure also would let victims, victims’ family members, crime victim advocates, law enforcement officers and prosecutors participate remotely if they choose. The bill says the board must give the victim, the victim’s family and others representing the victim the option to see or hear the inmate’s statement.
The change comes as Alabama’s prison system remains under intense scrutiny. Reporting from Alabama news outlets and advocacy groups has documented severe overcrowding, understaffing and high death rates in state prisons, including 277 deaths in 2024 and at least 202 in 2025, far above the national average for state prisons. A documentary released last year, “The Alabama Solution,” drew national attention to those conditions by using footage recorded inside prisons.
Supporters of the parole bill say it is a basic fairness measure because most hearings now proceed without the person whose future is being decided in the room. Critics of Alabama’s prison system argue that the change is only a small step and does not address the broader systemwide problems that have produced decades of litigation, federal scrutiny and public outrage.
The bill is scheduled to take effect in March 2027 if it becomes law. In practical terms, it would not bring prisoners physically into parole hearings, but it would give them a direct voice in a process that has long been conducted without them.