THE STORY – Incarcerated men defy the odds to expose a cover-up in one of America’s deadliest prison systems.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman (Directors/Writers) & Page Marsella (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 115 Minutes
The American prison-industrial complex is far from perfect. Over the years, news stories have exposed horrific conditions and the ongoing fight for prisoners’ rights. Films such as Ava DuVernay’s “13th” and 2019’s “Prison State” provided general audiences with a glimpse into the inequalities faced by incarcerated individuals serving long sentences in America.
“The Alabama Solution” continues that conversation by following a multi-year journey inside the Easterling Correctional Facility in Southeast Alabama, operated by the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC). Directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman initially approached the subject by trying to document a positive religious celebration at one of the prisons. Still, they were denied access and told to stop filming. Soon after, however, they began receiving FaceTime calls from incarcerated men using smuggled cellphones. Determined to tell their story, these inmates provided footage that revealed the reality of Easterling: physical abuse at the hands of correctional officers, systemic corruption within the ADOC, and a daily struggle for survival. Much of the documentary unfolds through these contraband video calls, which place the camera directly in the hands of the prisoners themselves.
Alabama’s prisons currently operate at nearly double their intended capacity, housing over 20,000 people. The state has the highest rates of overdoses, murders, and suicides inside its facilities, leaving little room for rehabilitation or the possibility of parole. Two of the film’s central figures, Robert Earl Council and Melvin Ray, emphasize the urgency of sharing their stories to improve conditions not just for themselves but for everyone incarcerated in Alabama. Both men remain behind bars serving extremely long sentences, but they speak candidly about daily realities: men beaten to death, rampant drug use facilitated by corrupt correctional officers, prisoners trapped in solitary confinement for years at a time, and vermin-infested cells. Their testimony is powerful, yet what elevates the film even further is their decision to turn the camera outward. Viewers witness pools of blood left after violent assaults, prisoners strapped to gurneys, and emaciated men barely surviving. Council and Ray are not only subjects of the film but also its camera operators and producers. Without them, “The Alabama Solution” would not exist.
The film operates as both an exposé and a call to action. It also takes on the urgency of a detective story when an inmate named Steven Davis is beaten to death by correctional officer Roderick Gadson. Davis’s mother shares photographs of him in the ICU that reveal the brutality of his injuries. The narrative then widens to follow both inmates and families as they seek accountability from the ADOC. Officials defend Gadson’s right to use “brute force,” but most witnesses insist Davis did nothing to provoke the attack. His cellmate, James Sales, could provide vital testimony, yet he refuses to speak against the ADOC while still incarcerated. With his release date approaching, Sales fears retaliation or extended imprisonment if he tells the truth. His silence, born of survival, leaves Davis’s case unresolved. Jarecki and Kaufman press the questions that linger over the entire film: How could this have happened? Why is no one held accountable? And what can be done to prevent it from happening again?
“The Alabama Solution” offers more questions than answers, but that is precisely the point. It reveals a system that prioritizes protecting political and financial interests over human lives. Over the past five years alone, Alabama has spent $53 million defending its prison system, settling lawsuits, and shielding officers accused of misconduct, including Gadson. Governor Kay Ivey’s proposed solution is to build massive new prisons, funded in part by diverting billions from the state’s education budget. The school-to-prison pipeline becomes unmistakably clear: children lose access to vital educational resources while the state invests in more facilities that fail to rehabilitate or properly staff their operations.
Even behind bars, Council and Ray remain unwavering in their mission to educate the outside world about the inequalities, corruption, and violence that plague Alabama’s prisons. The film reminds us that Alabama is not an outlier; similar stories unfold in high-security facilities across the country. “The Alabama Solution” may not provide a definitive answer, but it sparks an undeniable demand for change, making it one of the most urgent and important documentaries of the year.
