By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A powerful new documentary examining conditions inside Alabama’s prison system is drawing national attention and sparking renewed conversations about prison reform.
The film, “The Alabama Solution,” recently earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary and has gained attention after actor Ben Stiller publicly encouraged people to watch it and advocate for incarcerated men featured in the film.
Stiller shared his reaction Monday in an Instagram post after viewing the documentary.
“It will change how you see prisons and jails in America,” Stiller said. “Please call for the protection of the men in the film, and the 20,000 others in state custody.”
Released on HBO Max in October 2025, the documentary provides a rare look inside Alabama prisons using cell phone footage recorded by incarcerated men. The footage shows troubling conditions, including leaking sewage, rats trapped in bottles, overdoses, and limited access to medical care.
Filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman say the project was designed to reveal what they describe as “the inhumane conditions inside Alabama’s prisons.”
The documentary also highlights the Free Alabama Movement, a grassroots organization led by incarcerated men advocating for improved prison conditions and changes to what activists call exploitative prison labor practices.
Three leaders in the movement — Melvin Ray, Robert Earl Council and Raoul Poole — helped document conditions by sharing footage and participating in recorded calls with filmmakers. Reports say the men were later moved to solitary confinement after advocating for a nonviolent prison work strike in January.
During a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Jarecki said he invited Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to attend the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony.
“We have not heard back yet,” Jarecki said.
The Academy Awards ceremony will air on Sunday, where the documentary will compete for Best Documentary.