HB18 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris EnglandRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Department of Corrections; to amend Section 14-1-24, Code of Alabama 1975, to require the Department of Corrections to make certain reports monthly.

Summary

HB18 would require the Alabama Department of Corrections to report monthly to the Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee with detailed data on inmates, staff, programs, litigation, incidents, deaths, and contraband, and to publish these reports publicly.

What This Bill Does

The bill changes reporting from quarterly to monthly for the Department of Corrections to the Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee. It requires monthly reports to include specific data on inmate population, staffing, program participation, litigation, sexual abuse incidents, inmate deaths, and contraband, with certain investigation statuses and outcomes. It also requires the department to publicly post the reports on its website within 10 days of delivery and to notify legislators digitally. The act takes effect on the first day of the third month after passage.

Who It Affects

• Department of Corrections and its staff, who must compile, prepare, and submit the monthly, data-rich reports and follow confidentiality constraints.
• Legislature (specifically the Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee) and the general public, who will receive monthly reporting data and have public access to the reports online within 10 days.

Key Provisions

• Requires monthly reports to the Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee instead of quarterly reports.
• Reports must include: (1) inmate population size and composition data; (2) staffing levels, new hires, and retention data; (3) inmate participation in education, vocational, religious, or reentry programs by sex; (4) list of litigation filed during the quarter with case details and defense costs; (5) sexual abuse/victimization data with investigation status and outcome for each incident; (6) inmate deaths data including manner, cause, and autopsy results; (7) data on cell phones/electronic devices, weapons, and controlled substances recovered, with incident details.
• Confidentiality and security carve-outs: the bill does not require disclosure of sensitive security information or protected materials.
• Public posting: reports must be publicly available on the department's website within 10 days of delivery, with a digital notice sent to each legislator.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month following passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.