ABOUT
THE SERIES
The buildings are tucked away down rural roads, surrounded by gates and fences wrapped in barbed wire. The public is not allowed beyond the visitation yard, and communication with the free world is monitored.
Upwards of 20,000 people live in Alabama’s prisons, a system that siphons more than half a billion tax dollars every year, and yet it can be difficult to know what goes on inside.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice gave us a clearer picture.
In a 2019 report, justice officials detailed rampant violence and sexual assault among men confined to Alabama’s prisons. They recounted graphic stories of men victimized in overcrowded dormitories full of drugs and homemade weapons. In a followup report, they described further abuse at the hands of Alabama correctional officers, some of whom use excessive force “for the sole purpose of inflicting pain” upon incarcerated men.
The findings pulled back the curtain on a crisis that’s been brewing for decades. And it sparked a legal battle between Alabama and the federal government.
Deliberate Indifference is the story of how we got here.
In seven episodes, we trace how Alabama’s prisons became among the most dangerous correctional facilities in the nation. We unravel the decisions, the policies and the narratives - about crime, punishment and race - that created a system bursting at the seams, operating with fewer than half the security staff it requires, where men face a near constant threat of violence.
Through the stories of people impacted by the system and the people in charge, we’ll ask you to take a closer look at where we’ve been - and what’s next - for Alabama’s prisons.
MEET THE HOST
WBHM’s Mary Scott Hodgin is the host and journalist behind Deliberate Indifference.
Hodgin started covering Alabama's prison system while reporting on mental health care for incarcerated people, which had been declared “horrendously inadequate” by a federal judge in 2017. She continued to follow the story after U.S. justice officials detailed rampant violence and sexual assault inside state correctional facilities.
Hodgin, who grew up in Birmingham, joined WBHM full time in 2018 as the health and science reporter. In 2021 and 2022, she was recognized as “Best Large Market Radio Reporter” by the Alabama Broadcasters Association. She’s also the recipient of a 2021 regional Edward R. Murrow Award for "Excellence in Sound" and several Alabama Associated Press Media Editor awards, including "Best Specialized Reporter" and "Best Investigative Reporting."
CREDITS
Mary Scott Hodgin
Reporter/ Host/ Producer
Kate Smith
Editor, Ep. 1-7
Gigi Douban
Editor, Ep. 1-4
Miranda Fulmore
Production Assistant/ Digital
Meg Martin
Fact Checker
Cayenne Creative
Website Design
Matthew Hancock
Sound Design/ Audio Engineer