The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has settled more than 90 lawsuits involving allegations of excessive force by corrections officers since 2020, according to an investigation by Alabama Reflector.

In total, the department has resolved 124 lawsuits over the past five years. The vast majority of these cases stem from claims that incarcerated individuals suffered serious injuries at the hands of correctional staff. Incidents ranged from broken bones and head trauma to permanent disabilities, as detailed in court records and financial data reviewed by the news outlet.

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The ADOC’s legal spending has significantly increased during this time. According to the report, the department has spent over $17 million on legal defense and settlements involving individual officers since 2020. When including larger class-action cases, such as the ongoing litigation brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, total legal expenditures have surpassed $57 million.

Among the incidents documented are:

• A 2018 case at Ventress Correctional Facility involved an officer allegedly striking a handcuffed inmate, fracturing his jaw in two places. ADOC settled the case for $90,000 and terminated the officer involved.

• A 2019 complaint from Limestone Correctional Facility described a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury and permanent hearing loss after being taken down and allegedly beaten by multiple officers. The case was settled with the man’s mother for $9,000 after his release and subsequent death.

• Another lawsuit stemming from a 2018 incident at Staton Correctional Facility involved an inmate who was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition with multiple fractures and internal injuries. That case ended with a $55,000 settlement.

The settlements were paid through Alabama’s General Liability Trust Fund, which covers both legal defense and settlement payments for individual state employees. Broader lawsuits filed against state agencies are paid out of the state’s General Fund.

The report also found that many of the complaints began as handwritten filings from incarcerated individuals who lacked other avenues to report alleged abuse. The volume of claims has grown sharply in recent years, with the number of liability claims filed by ADOC jumping from 33 in 2020 to 235 in 2023.

Meanwhile, legal fees have also grown. Between 2020 and 2024, private attorneys hired to defend ADOC employees were paid nearly $13 million—roughly triple the $4.4 million paid out in settlements to plaintiffs. The median settlement for excessive force claims was only $8,000.

Data on how Alabama compares to other states in terms of the number of lawsuits involving the same claims is not readily available.

Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].