PARK CITY, Utah — Inmates in Alabama’s prison system risked their own safety to share disturbing images of their living situations with a duo of documentary filmmakers. The outcome of this endeavor is “The Alabama Solution,” which made its debut this week at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City.
Filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman began exploring the complexities of the Alabama prison system in 2019. Jarecki, renowned for his work on “The Jinx” and “Capturing the Friedmans,” and Kaufman were first granted limited access to the prisons during a revival event organized by a chaplain. During this visit, inmates quietly approached them to share alarming tales regarding the grim realities within the facility, including forced labor, rampant drug use, violence, intimidation, and the hidden factors behind numerous inmate deaths.
Reports have highlighted the dire issues plaguing the state’s prison system, such as elevated violence rates, understaffing, decreasing parole rates, and the controversial allocation of pandemic relief funds toward constructing a new, larger prison.
The filmmakers eventually connected with incarcerated advocates Melvin Ray and Robert Earl Council, known as “Kinetik Justice.” For several years, these activists have aimed to bring attention to the appalling conditions and systemic corruption present within the prison system. They played a crucial role in sharing details with the filmmakers, using contraband cell phones to communicate information about their situation.
“We’ve been genuinely worried about their safety since the beginning of our journey,” Kaufman expressed. “Both have devoted years to this fight, and, as depicted in the film, they have faced severe retaliation for their efforts. However, we have attorneys prepared to conduct wellness checks and respond to any threats against them.”
During the film’s premiere on Tuesday, Council participated remotely via phone. The filmmakers allowed attendees to hear his voice as he expressed gratitude: “Thank you for being here and showing interest. I represent the incarcerated brothers in Alabama, and I’m thankful for your support.”
Among the audience were family members of inmates featured in the film, including Sandy Ray, mother of Steven Davis, who died in 2019 at a correctional facility, his body reportedly marred by severe injuries. While prison officials stated that Davis was killed in an act of self-defense, the narrative shared by other inmates tells a much different story.
Alelur “Alex” Duran, who served a 12-year sentence in New York, was also involved in the film’s production. Jarecki noted that the filmmakers would not have tackled this significant issue without Duran’s valuable insights as a former inmate.
“What occurs in this film is not unique to Alabama but is a challenge faced across the United States,” Duran remarked.
Additionally, the documentary highlights Alabama’s extensive history of utilizing prisoner labor for various private companies, from fast-food chains like Burger King to hospitality entities such as Best Western. Investigations revealed that this cheap labor market has produced over $250 million for the state since the year 2000, with prisoners’ wages being garnished for these earnings.
“Our goal is to expose the reality of a system shrouded in secrecy,” Jarecki stated. “We aspire to encourage a movement that grants journalists and the public greater transparency regarding how incarcerated individuals are treated and how taxpayer funding is utilized. We hope to motivate Alabama’s leadership to recognize the ongoing crisis and enact comprehensive reforms within its prison system as well as the practice of forced labor.”
The film is set to have a theatrical release before it is made available on HBO later this year, although specific dates are yet to be announced. Despite its early stage, Jarecki mentioned that the film has already begun to create ripples of change, including prompting a class action lawsuit related to labor issues.
