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Governor Kay Ivey Issues Executive Order #716

By VOCAL / October 4, 2021 / Comments Off on Governor Kay Ivey Issues Executive Order #716

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 716 Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on Early Parole Hearings and Requiring the Submission and Implementation of a Corrective Action Plan for the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

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VOCAL

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Signing HB380 Into Law

By VOCAL / October 4, 2021 / Comments Off on Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Signing HB380 Into Law

Attorney General Steve Marshall Hails Alabama Senate Passage of Legislation to Reform State’s Badly Broken Pardons and Paroles Board (MONTGOMERY) — Attorney General Steve Marshall hailed the passage of legislation today by the Alabama Senate to reform the badly broken Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. House Bill 380, sponsored by Representative Connie Rowe, R-Jasper,…

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VOCAL

Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Settlement with Victims’ Families in Jimmy O’Neal Spencer Case

By VOCAL / October 4, 2021 / Comments Off on Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Settlement with Victims’ Families in Jimmy O’Neal Spencer Case

(MONTGOMERY)—Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the State of Alabama would pay the maximum damages that may be awarded under state law—$1 million*—to the families of Jimmy O’Neal Spencer’s three alleged murder victims. The families allege that the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles wrongfully paroled and failed to supervise Spencer, resulting in the deaths…

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VOCAL

VOCAL Calls for Reforms to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles

By VOCAL / October 4, 2021 / Comments Off on VOCAL Calls for Reforms to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles

MONTGOMERY — Victims of Crime and Leniency (VOCAL), the State’s largest victims’ advocacy coalition, on Tuesday expressed the organization’s full support and the urgent need for legislation reforming the Board of Pardons and Paroles. The legislation has already passed the Alabama House of Representatives. “We sincerely hope that the Alabama Senate will make this legislation…

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Fundraising Events

By VOCAL / October 4, 2021 / Comments Off on Fundraising Events

VOCAL hosts an annual golf tournament, where patrons can donate to help support our organization and be sponsored for these events. View the brochure of our most recent tournament here, as well as details on sponsorships. 2021 brochure

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Senator Jimmy Holley has spent over half of his life as a lawmaker.

By VOCAL / December 23, 2021 / Comments Off on Senator Jimmy Holley has spent over half of his life as a lawmaker.

By STEVE FLOWERS Alabama Political Reporter Legendary state Senator Jimmy Holley has decided to not seek reelection to the state Senate next year after 44 years in the Legislature. He will be missed in the state Senate. For the past decade, Holley has become a mentor and confidante for incoming state senators, especially the members…

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Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey Fights for Bail Reform

By VOCAL / January 14, 2022 / Comments Off on Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey Fights for Bail Reform
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Attorney Steve Marshall Issues Statement in Support of Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles

By VOCAL / February 28, 2022 / Comments Off on Attorney Steve Marshall Issues Statement in Support of Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles
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Alabama Senate passes bill to delay fees for released prisoners

By VOCAL / April 7, 2022 / Comments Off on Alabama Senate passes bill to delay fees for released prisoners

The bill would delay fines and fees for the recently released for 180 days. he Alabama Senate on Wednesday quickly passed numerous largely non-controversial bills, and among them was legislation that would give those released from custody extra time before having to pay fines and fees.  During the 180-day period after a person is released…

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Governor Ivy Signs Nick Risner Act into Law

By VOCAL / April 14, 2022 / Comments Off on Governor Ivy Signs Nick Risner Act into Law

Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed House Bill 143, which is named in honor of Sheffield K-9 Sgt. Nick Risner, who was murdered in October 2021 by a man previously convicted of manslaughter. The Nick Risner Act, which is sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus, prevents convicts who used a deadly weapon to kill someone from…

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Alabama mass prison release: State freeing 369 inmates under amended 2015 law

By VOCAL / February 19, 2023 / Comments Off on Alabama mass prison release: State freeing 369 inmates under amended 2015 law

By  The Alabama Department of Corrections will be releasing nearly 400 inmates statewide on Tuesday. The mass release – which will put the early-release inmates under the supervision of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles – stems from a bill passed by the state legislature in 2021. That bill amended a law passed as part…

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Paul DeMarco: Alabama leaders fail crime victims again with mass early prison release of violent felons

By VOCAL / February 19, 2023 / Comments Off on Paul DeMarco: Alabama leaders fail crime victims again with mass early prison release of violent felons

By Paul DeMarco published in the Trussville Tribune The release of inmates from Alabama prisons caught a lot people by surprise. Paul DeMarco The potential early release of over 2 percent of the inmate population of the Alabama Department of Corrections was required by a law passed in 2015 and then amended in 2021 by…

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Advocacy groups upset over delay in notifying victims before mandatory supervision release

By VOCAL / February 19, 2023 / Comments Off on Advocacy groups upset over delay in notifying victims before mandatory supervision release

Published on WAAY 31 ABC It’s a new law in the state that also requires inmates to be monitored after release. The Alabama Department of Corrections is working to contact victims before they can legally release more inmates to be under supervision as part of the mandatory supervision law. Victims are feeling a lot of emotions…

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Crime victims groups express concern over inmate release

By VOCAL / February 19, 2023 / Comments Off on Crime victims groups express concern over inmate release

by: Maddie Biertempfel Posted: Feb 1, 2023 / 06:37 PM CST Updated: Feb 1, 2023 / 06:38 PM CST Posted on CBS42 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — As Alabama begins releasing hundreds of inmates early, some crime victims say they should’ve been given more time to know this was happening. Victims groups have been scrambling this week to notify…

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Victim advocates scramble as state makes prison release notifications

By VOCAL / February 19, 2023 / Comments Off on Victim advocates scramble as state makes prison release notifications

Posted on Montgomery Advertiser Victim advocates scramble as state makes prison release notifications (montgomeryadvertiser.com) Advocacy groups for victims of violent crimes scrambled Tuesday to spread the word about the state’s early release of hundreds of prisoners in the following days, as the state continued to make victim notifications required under the 2021 revised legislation. Alabama…

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Goodman: Family of Jamea Harris can’t avoid Alabama basketball

By VOCAL / March 14, 2023 / Comments Off on Goodman: Family of Jamea Harris can’t avoid Alabama basketball

By  Shared from : Goodman: Family of Jamea Harris can’t avoid Alabama basketball – al.com Unexpected tears of anger burned through the eyes of Kelvin Heard on Saturday. He was in Publix on Green Springs Avenue in Homewood. Wine aisle. The stepfather of Jamea Harris just wanted to buy a bottle to take the edge…

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VOCAL’s Miriam Shehane honored for service to Alabama’s crime victims

By VOCAL / April 14, 2023 / Comments Off on VOCAL’s Miriam Shehane honored for service to Alabama’s crime victims

VOCAL’s Miriam Shehane honored for service to Alabama’s crime victims (wsfa.com) MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Miriam Shehane, a crusader for crime victims’ rights, was honored by the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Fund Thursday for her 37 years of service. In 1982, Alabama had no laws to support crime victims. That changed because of Shehane, who…

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AG Marshall removes litigating authority from ADOC attorneys

By VOCAL / April 15, 2023 / Comments Off on AG Marshall removes litigating authority from ADOC attorneys

Craig Monger | 04.14.23 AG Marshall removes litigating authority from ADOC attorneys (1819news.com) In the ongoing drama with the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is taking away litigation authority from the ADOC and moving it to his office.   On Thursday, ADOC announced Marshall was removing the “assistant attorney general” designation…

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Ivey signs “good time” bill into law

By VOCAL / April 16, 2023 / Comments Off on Ivey signs “good time” bill into law

Under the new law, perfectly behaved incarcerated individuals will begin to earn 30 days off for each 30 days served. ByJACOB HOLMES Ivey signs “good time” bill into law (alreporter.com) Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law Friday a bill that will slash the accrual of correctional incentive time in Alabama’s prison system. “I want to…

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Paul DeMarco: As violent crime increases public safety must be the first priority for Alabama State officials this legislative session

By VOCAL / April 18, 2023 / Comments Off on Paul DeMarco: As violent crime increases public safety must be the first priority for Alabama State officials this legislative session

By Paul DeMarco Despite aggressive lobbying by liberal advocacy groups, the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate have passed legislation that has given prosecutors and law enforcement more tools to protect citizens. In 2019, reforms were passed to strengthen the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles which fixed a broken system that had allowed violent…

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