The Alabama Solution Film Screening

Please join us for a screening of the HBO documentary, The Alabama Solution on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 5:15pm at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The documentary takes viewers inside one of America’s deadliest prison systems. Using firsthand footage secretly recorded on cell phones, the film exposes conditions in Alabama’s Department of Corrections: overcrowding, abuse, forced labor, corruption, and cover-ups. At its center is the 2019 killing of Steven Davis at Donaldson Correctional Facility, a tragedy that became a symbol of a broader crisis. Through this story, we meet incarcerated leaders like Robert Earl Council (Kinetik Justice) and Melvin Ray, who organized resistance and risked severe retaliation for telling the truth. The film is directed by Andrew Jarecki (Capturing the Friedmans, The Jinx) and Charlotte Kaufman, in partnership with HBO Documentary Films. A welcome reception at 5:15pm will be followed by a 6pm screening of the documentary. The event will conclude with a talk back/discussion featuring special guests and thought leaders on incarceration, safety and justice. The event is co-sponsored by the Future of Public Safety Initiative, the Institute for Justice and Opportunity, and the Office of External Affairs. The views expressed by the panelists are those of the speakers and do not reflect the position of the College. ([hidden]) More Info below.