By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
An HBO documentary that exposes conditions inside Alabama’s prison system has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards, announced Thursday.
The Alabama Solution relies heavily on footage recorded with contraband cell phones to document life inside Alabama prisons. The film follows several storylines, including the death of Steven Davis, who was killed by correctional officer Roderick Gadson, and the organizing efforts of incarcerated leaders associated with the Free Alabama Movement, a group known for coordinating prison work strikes to protest unsafe and inhumane conditions.
Advocates say the Academy Award nomination brings heightened national attention to longstanding issues within Alabama’s correctional system.
“The announcement reflects growing public recognition of the crisis inside prisons in Alabama and beyond,” said Kendrid Motes, communications lead for No More Alabama, an advocacy campaign launched following the documentary’s release. “When national awareness increases, so do calls for reform and demands for accountability.”
Motes noted that public visibility may offer some protection for incarcerated individuals featured in the film, including Melvin Ray, Robert Earl Council, and Raoul Poole.
“That scrutiny can reduce the likelihood that abuse or retaliation continues unchecked,” Motes said.
The renewed attention comes as the three men reportedly face disciplinary consequences after organizing plans for another nonviolent work strike. According to advocates, Ray, Council, and Poole were transferred to solitary confinement at Kilby Correctional Facility following the announcement.
Motes said the men have been held in isolation for more than ten days, denied access to mail, and allowed only one phone call with loved ones.
“The conditions documented in the film remain unchanged,” he said. “The risks are ongoing.”
The Alabama Solution is one of just five feature-length documentaries nominated this year, placing renewed focus on Alabama’s prison system on a global stage.