MONTGOMERY, AL — A federal court has officially ended more than a decade of oversight of the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women after dismissing a longstanding case involving the State of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson entered a final judgment dismissing United States v. State of Alabama and Alabama Department of Corrections, bringing an end to the consent decree that had governed operations at the prison since 2015.
The consent decree was established after Alabama agreed to implement reforms addressing staff training, institutional policies, oversight procedures, and the reporting and investigation of abuse allegations at the Wetumpka women’s prison.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, court-appointed monitoring over the past several years found the prison in compliance with all 44 requirements outlined in the decree. Based on those findings, the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Alabama jointly requested that the remaining terms of the consent decree be terminated.
With the court’s ruling, all remaining requirements have been lifted, ending federal oversight related to the case.
Attorney General Steve Marshall said the judgment reflects the progress made by the Alabama Department of Corrections over the past decade.
“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,” Marshall said.
Because the case was dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be reopened or refiled. The judgment also states that each party will be responsible for its own legal costs, with no continuing financial obligations related to the litigation.
Governor Kay Ivey also commented on the decision, noting that Alabama has undertaken a number of correctional system reforms since she took office in 2017.
In a statement, Ivey said the state has moved forward with the construction of two new men’s prisons, increased correctional officer recruitment, implemented a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct by staff and inmates, strengthened department operations, and enacted sentencing reforms. She said the conclusion of the Tutwiler case reflects those efforts and that work to improve Alabama’s correctional system will continue.
