MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) — The filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated documentary The Alabama Solution are inviting Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall to attend a private screening of the film and meet with Alabama families who say they lost loved ones while in state custody.
According to the filmmakers, the invitation also includes attending the Academy Awards ceremony on March 15 alongside families featured in the film.
The documentary focuses on conditions inside Alabama’s prison system and raises concerns about safety, overcrowding and inmate deaths. Organizers say the invitation is meant to encourage conversation and potential reform.
The invitation comes as advocacy groups report increased public engagement surrounding the issue. Organizers with NO MORE: The Campaign for Safety and Accountability in Alabama’s Prisons say more than 10,000 letters, emails and phone calls have been sent to state officials since October, calling for transparency and action.
Filmmaker Charlotte Kaufman said the goal is to open dialogue between families and state leaders.
“These families live with the consequences of what happens inside Alabama’s prisons, which have become the deadliest in the nation,” Kaufman said. “We hope Governor Ivey and Attorney General Marshall, who have not confirmed they have watched the film, will accept our invitation to see it for themselves, sit with family members to hear about their experiences, and discuss plans to radically improve the system. Hearing from Alabamians about what happened to their loved ones under state care is a key step in addressing this crisis moving forward.”
So far, the governor’s office has not publicly addressed the invitation.
When the film received its Oscar nomination, Gov. Ivey’s communications director Gina Maiola released a statement defending the administration’s efforts to address prison issues.
“We already knew the Oscars had a low bar, but as far as Corrections goes, there has never been an Alabama governor more dedicated to solving the longstanding challenges facing the system than Governor Ivey,” Maiola said. “From recruiting a record number of Corrections officers to doing sentencing reforms to constructing needed, new facilities, Governor Ivey is getting the job done and making it safer for inmates, officers and the public alike.”
Filmmakers say more than 1,500 people have died in Alabama prisons since they began production on the documentary in 2019.
The film’s creators say they hope the screening and conversation could lead to greater understanding and potential reforms moving forward.
Letter of invite to Governor Kay Ivey, provided by The Alabama Solution creators.
