Work release program is a WIN for everyone in Alabama

/1 Comment/in , /by

As a part of the Redemption Earned (RE) initiative, made possible through a grant from the American College of Trial Lawyers, we have set a goal to provide free legal assistance to over 100 interested incarcerated individuals so that they can become eligible for work-release in our first year. We call this initiative the WIN Program because it will be “a win” for everyone in the State of Alabama. This program, with the help of Law Student Volunteers, will seek out detainers that prevent a particular inmate from qualifying for work-release and make every effort to resolve those detainers. More often than not, pending charges were not taken care of by a plea of guilty or a trial because the defendant was in custody in another jurisdiction. The success of this endeavor will lay the foundation for the ongoing mission of RE to represent individuals worthy of parole.

Removing the obstacles that prevent incarcerated people from being classified for work release will be a “win to the fifth degree”. The positive impact from Redemption Earned’s efforts will be seen in the following five areas: (1) Victims of crimes will receive payments towards restitution. (2) The State of Alabama will accrue payments toward fines and court costs. (3) The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) will receive 40% of an average $19,500 per worker (4) Employers in the State of Alabama will benefit from the work of motivated and skilled employees. (5) Our clients will benefit from the opportunity to get outside of the prison walls, network with employers, pay off their fines, costs and restitution, and improve their chances at parole and success at reentry with a possible job upon release.

Removing the obstacles that prevent incarcerated people from being classified for work release will be a “win to the fifth degree.”

The Win Program is the right thing to do for all the right reasons. There are many incarcerated individuals who have unused talent and skill sets that would benefit the needs of employers across the State. These individuals do not pose a risk to the community, rather they will provide a workforce and financial benefit to the State, while simultaneously receiving the advantages of a job and becoming productive members of society.

If you would like to learn more about our WIN program, visit our contact page and reach out to us.

WAFF Report: Parole denials skyrocket in Alabama

/0 Comments/in , /by

by Megan Plotka

More than four years ago, Alabama prisons were overcrowded to the point of being unconstitutional, according to federal court judges. Now, new data shows fewer paroles may be compounding that problem.

In just four years, parole denials in Alabama nearly doubled.

That’s according to data from the Alabama Bureau of Pardons & Paroles compiled by the ACLU. That data shows the parole board denied 46% of applications in 2017. In 2021, 84% of parole applications were denied.

“People in prison rely on parole for hope they look at the parole date and think ok if I make it to my parole date I’m going to take classes and programs and do positive things because I have hope that that matters,” said Carla Crowder the Executive Director of the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE AND VIDEO

Source: WAFF 48 Huntsville

UAB’s Pre-Law Program making an impact outside of the classroom

/0 Comments/in , /by

 

Students who participate in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Pre-Law Program in the Department of Criminal Justice have access to pre-law advising, an academic minor, and activities designed to build pre-professional competencies, including legal research and critical thinking.

According to Brandon Blankenship, J.D., assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and director of the Pre-Law Program, these skills—along with many others—consistently prove to be valuable when practicing law or working in careers in law.

In addition to the core competencies, Blankenship also emphasizes community engagement and restorative leadership with his pre-law students.

“[We’re] proactively building community,” said Blankenship.

For Blankenship, community-building often begins with engaging middle and high school students in hands-on learning experiences.

One of the longest-standing experiences available through the Pre-Law Program is Journey to Attorney, an innovative summer camp for rising high school juniors and seniors that includes mock mediation and mock trials. During the camp, UAB pre-law students support camp participants as they retry a historic case (the last camp focused on the Scottsboro Nine case). Attendees dig into the facts of the case and aim to achieve a just result—an effort that often requires 12-hour days and intensive preparation. CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

 

Source: UAB College of Arts and Sciences – Student News

Do you care? If so, please donate!

DONATE

Redemption Earned, Inc

PO Box 2286
Birmingham, AL 35201
info@redemptionearned.org

Privacy Policy

Stay in touch with Redemption Earned on our social media or by joining our email list:

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.