More than a decade of federal oversight at Alabama’s Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women has officially come to an end after a federal judge dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice’s case against the Alabama Department of Corrections, terminating the consent decree that had governed the Wetumpka prison since 2015.
U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson signed an order Thursday terminating the consent decree after the United States withdrew its opposition and the parties agreed to end the remaining provisions. In a separate final judgment, Thompson dismissed the case in its entirety with prejudice, bringing the litigation to a close.
The consent decree stemmed from a 2015 Justice Department lawsuit alleging a pattern of sexual abuse and sexual harassment by correctional officers at the prison. Federal investigators concluded women incarcerated at Tutwiler were subjected to unconstitutional conditions in violation of the Eighth Amendment, citing systemic failures in reporting and investigating abuse allegations, inadequate grievance procedures and a lack of accountability for staff misconduct.
Instead of continuing the legal fight, Alabama agreed to a consent decree requiring comprehensive reforms that included enhanced staff training, stronger oversight, improved reporting and investigation procedures, additional protections for inmates and independent monitoring of the prison’s progress.
According to Marshall’s office, an independent monitor found Tutwiler in compliance with all 44 requirements of the consent decree. Based on those findings, the Justice Department and the State of Alabama jointly asked the court to terminate the remaining provisions of the agreement, which Thompson approved Thursday.
“This judgment marks an important milestone for Alabama. Over the past decade, the Alabama Department of Corrections has made real, measurable progress in strengthening oversight and safety at Tutwiler, and this judgment reflects that work,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said.
With the judgment, the Alabama Department of Corrections is no longer operating under court-ordered federal oversight tied to the Tutwiler case. Because the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be refiled, and each side will bear its own attorney fees and costs.
Gov. Kay Ivey also welcomed the court’s decision.
“When I took office in 2017, our challenged prisons needed our immediate attention, and we were facing various DOJ lawsuits and investigations. Despite the can being kicked down the road for too long, I made it a priority to improve our correctional system, and we have made significant progress since then. In addition to moving forward with the construction of two new men’s prisons, hitting historic recruitment levels for correctional officers, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for bad behavior by both inmates and staff, enhancing the Department and making various sensible sentencing reforms, today, I am proud that the DOJ case against Julia Tutwiler Prison has concluded. This is the result of our work over these two-plus terms, and our efforts will continue.”
The court’s order brings to a close litigation that began more than a decade ago and marks the end of the federal consent decree that guided reforms at Alabama’s only women’s prison.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
