'I just got released today': 80 inmates fitted for ankle monitors Tuesday before release

WEATHER WITH HEAVY RAIN COMING IN ON THURSDAY COMING UP. SO EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE REPORTED HUNDREDS OF ALABAMA INMATES COULD BE RELEASED THIS MORNING. THAT WAS UNTIL ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVE MARSHALL FILED A LAWSUIT TO BLOCK THE RELEASE. A LAW PASSED LAST YEAR ALLOWS HUNDREDS OF STATE INMATES TO BE PLACED ON A SUPERVISED RELEASE. AND ACCORDING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE VICTIM’S FAMILIES WERE NOT PROPERLY NOTIFIED THAT THEY WOULD BE LET OUT OF PRISON. THIS MORNING, A JUDGE DENIED THE LAWSUIT, BUT INSTEAD OF THE 400 INMATES BEING LET OUT, ONLY A FEW DOZEN WERE RELEASED TODAY. ATTORNEY GENERAL MARSHALL SAYING THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS WILL BE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE VICTIMS FAMILIES PRIOR TO THE INMATES RELEASE. AND WE’LL MONITOR THE NOTIFICATION OVER THE NEXT 60 DAYS. WELL, FOR THOSE INMATES WHO ARE NOW FREE, REJOINING SOCIETY CAN BE DIFFICULT. WVTM 13 JARVIS ROBERTSON JOINING US IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM TONIGHT. AND JARVIS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO HELP FOLKS WITH THAT REENTRY PROCESS. THAT IS CORRECT. AND NOW THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS DIDN’T GET BACK TO ME UNTIL AROUND 515 THIS AFTERNOON, SAYING THAT APPROXIMATELY 80 INMATES HAD BEEN FITTED FOR ANKLE MONITORS, WHICH IS A PART OF THAT RELEASE. NOW, I DID HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH ONE MAN WHO WAS RELEASED AND DROPPED OFF RIGHT HERE AT THE BUS STATION IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM. HE’S NERVOUS TO BE HOME. HE’S EXCITED TO BE HOME. BUT THE BEST PART ABOUT IT FOR HIM IS THAT HE’S HOME. I JUST GOT HERE AN HOUR BEFORE THIS INTERVIEW. SHANE RUTLEDGE HAS BEEN WAITING ON THIS MOMENT FOR QUITE A WHILE. I WAS INCARCERATED, STARTING IN MARCH OF 2020 AND JUST GOT RELEASED TODAY. ALABAMA’S MANDATORY RELEASE LAW MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR HIM. I FEEL LIKE HAVING GONE TO A WORK RELEASE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST GIVE ME A SMALL OPPORTUNITY TO GET REINTEGRATED WITH SOCIETY. BUT SO MUCH CAN HAPPEN WHILE THE PERSON IS LOCKED AWAY. MY PARENTS HAVE BOTH PASSED AWAY. THIS IS NOT THE SAME WORLD. TRENT REDWINE WORKS WITH SHEPHERD’S FORD, ALABAMA. THEY HELPED ME AND FIND JOBS, STABLE HOUSING, GETTING STATE ISSUED IDS, TEACHING THEM HOW TO LIVE A NORMAL LIFE AFTER PRISON. EVERYBODY NEEDS A SUPPORT GROUP. EVERYBODY, I MEAN, EVEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE GROWN UP OUT HERE IN SOCIETY AND SHOWING PEOPLE THEY’RE SOMEONE WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT THEY’RE GOING THROUGH. THERE NEEDS TO BE A MORE OF A FOCUS ON PEOPLE AS INDIVIDUALS AND NOT THEIR CRIMES OR THEIR CRIMES WERE DEALT WITH AT COURT, WHICH RUTLEDGE APPRECIATE YATES. HE ADMITS BEING NERVOUS FOR THE NEXT PHASE IN LIFE, BUT FEELS WHAT HE HAS AND WILL LEARN CAN BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHER MEN. EVERY PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS AND YOU KNOW, IN IN TRYING TO PASS THE BLAME ON TO SOMEBODY ELSE REALLY ISN’T GOING TO GET YOU ANYWHERE. NOW THE PROGRAM OVER IT SEPARATES FALLS, ALABAMA IS A SIX MONTH PROGRAM. HOWEVER, I’M TOLD THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS NOW. IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, ACCORDING TO THE AD, YOU’LL SEE THIS IS A ROLLING RELEASE PROGRAM. SO EVEN THOUGH LESS THAN 100 WERE RELEASED TODAY, WE DO EXPECT MORE TO BE RELEASED IN THE COMING DAYS. HOWEVER, WE DON’T KNOW WHEN THAT WILL BE. REPORTING LIVE IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM, I’

Tuesday proved to be a busy one in the State of Alabama.We initially reported nearly 400 inmates would be released. However, according to a news release from the Department of Corrections; approximately 80 inmates had been fitted for ankle monitors by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.The release reads: In accordance with changes to Alabama Code Section 15-22-26.2 (Mandatory Supervision Period on Certain Sentences) that went into effect today, January 31, 2023, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), began releasing inmates to the supervision of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles (ABPP). This action is required by retroactivity provisions contained in Act 2021-549 that made previously excluded inmates eligible for release to mandatory supervision. However, the ADOC has not released any inmate without compliance of the victim notice requirement of Act 2021-549. Approximately 80 inmates had been fitted with ankle monitors as of 3:00 p.m. There will be a rolling release of the remaining eligible inmates as the required notifications are made by the ADOC. Each released inmate has been processed by ABPP and fitted with an electronic ankle monitor. This automated release mechanism only applies to those inmates with offenses committed on or after January 30, 2016. Individuals convicted of a sex offense involving a child are excluded as are offenders serving life sentences. Release of eligible inmates is based upon the length of sentence.WVTM 13 spoke with Shane Routledge, one the many released. He's happy to be home. In fact, he's excited but also nervous. Routledge said he was incarcerated from March 2020 until Tuesday morning due to drug possession. This moment for him feels good. He says he had been notified earlier this month that he would be getting out of prison earlier than the end of sentence September release date. Routledge said he was imprisoned in Childersburg.We reached out to the state's attorney general office for comment. Initially, Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit to stop the release, but it was unsuccessful. However, the court system did step-in with a requirement for the ADOC.Read the statement from Marshall's office below:Throughout his tenure, the Attorney General has been a vocal opponent of all efforts to release inmates early and expressed particular concern about Act 2021-549 passed in October of 2021. Today, we will start to see the impact of this new law. Four hundred offenders will start to be released early to supervision with an ankle monitor, roughly 60% of whom have committed violent offenses against individuals. Large groups of inmates will continue to be released under this law for the next few months.After learning on Friday that victims had not been properly notified about the early release, as required by Act 2021-549, the Attorney General filed an emergency lawsuit on behalf of crime victims seeking to pause the release until victim notification has occurred. This morning, the court entered an order requiring the Department of Corrections to provide sufficient notice to victims prior to the early release of their offenders. The order does not contain a timetable for the notifications but will be subject to court monitoring for the next 60 days.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Tuesday proved to be a busy one in the State of Alabama.

We initially reported nearly 400 inmates would be released. However, according to a news release from the Department of Corrections; approximately 80 inmates had been fitted for ankle monitors by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

The release reads:

In accordance with changes to Alabama Code Section 15-22-26.2 (Mandatory Supervision Period on Certain Sentences) that went into effect today, January 31, 2023, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), began releasing inmates to the supervision of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles (ABPP). This action is required by retroactivity provisions contained in Act 2021-549 that made previously excluded inmates eligible for release to mandatory supervision. However, the ADOC has not released any inmate without compliance of the victim notice requirement of Act 2021-549. Approximately 80 inmates had been fitted with ankle monitors as of 3:00 p.m. There will be a rolling release of the remaining eligible inmates as the required notifications are made by the ADOC. Each released inmate has been processed by ABPP and fitted with an electronic ankle monitor. This automated release mechanism only applies to those inmates with offenses committed on or after January 30, 2016. Individuals convicted of a sex offense involving a child are excluded as are offenders serving life sentences. Release of eligible inmates is based upon the length of sentence.

WVTM 13 spoke with Shane Routledge, one the many released. He's happy to be home. In fact, he's excited but also nervous.

Routledge said he was incarcerated from March 2020 until Tuesday morning due to drug possession. This moment for him feels good. He says he had been notified earlier this month that he would be getting out of prison earlier than the end of sentence September release date.

Routledge said he was imprisoned in Childersburg.

We reached out to the state's attorney general office for comment. Initially, Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit to stop the release, but it was unsuccessful. However, the court system did step-in with a requirement for the ADOC.

Read the statement from Marshall's office below:

Throughout his tenure, the Attorney General has been a vocal opponent of all efforts to release inmates early and expressed particular concern about Act 2021-549 passed in October of 2021. Today, we will start to see the impact of this new law. Four hundred offenders will start to be released early to supervision with an ankle monitor, roughly 60% of whom have committed violent offenses against individuals. Large groups of inmates will continue to be released under this law for the next few months.

After learning on Friday that victims had not been properly notified about the early release, as required by Act 2021-549, the Attorney General filed an emergency lawsuit on behalf of crime victims seeking to pause the release until victim notification has occurred. This morning, the court entered an order requiring the Department of Corrections to provide sufficient notice to victims prior to the early release of their offenders. The order does not contain a timetable for the notifications but will be subject to court monitoring for the next 60 days.

'I just got released today': 80 inmates fitted for ankle monitors Tuesday before release

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