
Conditions within prison facilities aren’t known to be great, and they’re not invitations that many in positions of power believe to be most deserving of resources. Some argue that criminal offenders need to be kept in line and shouldn’t be treated with kindness, and therefore their needs should be at the bottom of any priority list. The Alabama Solution, through extensive interviews with incarcerated people in the state’s prison system, unmasks just some of the most heinous offenses being committed and swept under the rug in the name of law and order, and how the conversation is illogically shifted to fighting more “important” issues, like how they’re accessing cell phones to talk to people outside prisons in the first place.
This film, from directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, begins with a visit to one of Alabama’s eleven state prisons on a day where a barbecue is happening, something that those the filmmakers speak to insist isn’t anything like what they usually eat. It’s much worse than that, however, as their video calls expose horrific abuses that are then covered up and explained away by public officials. When one incarcerated man ends up beaten and unrecognizable in the ICU, succumbing to his wounds by the time the cameras arrive to see him, his family is hopeless to learn anything aside from the party line that he attacked guards and was forcefully and fatally subdued. This type of thing happens often, according to those interviewed, and getting any semblance of justice is going to require making a lot of noise, still with little expectation of any real resolution.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg for this film, which includes so many honest and desperate conversations with people who want their faces to be seen even if they know that it may bring repercussions, since they want to share more than just their voices and have control over something in their lives. The footage that they share is gruesome and unfiltered, and it would be hard to deny its authenticity or admissibility even if it was determined that it was recorded illegally because of what it inarguably shows. There are people who have spent years in prison and have studied the law so that they can better advocate for themselves and for others, and know how to organize so that they can trigger a statewide strike that will bring much-needed attention to their cause.
Unfortunately, this film’s title refers to the party line from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and others that an Alabama problem requires an Alabama solution. Rather than let the Department of Justice take over Alabama’s prisons, her proposed fix for greatly overcrowded and understaffed facilities with horrific living conditions is a $900 million construction of three new mega-prisons, which a cursory line of questioning reveals won’t actually address any of the issues, just offer expensive contracts to make the state seem like it’s doing great things. Bureaucracy is bad enough, but this is a system that rewards those who abuse their authority, like the guard whose fatal beating of that man is far from his first offense or lawsuit, yet the state has settled everything for him and even paid for it.
Hoping for change is a difficult thing given the grim reality of the situation on the ground and the tragic continued deaths of incarcerated people in Alabama since this film was finished. As the film points out and responses to the protests showed, this isn’t just an Alabama problem but happening throughout the country. It’s certainly not easy to shake many of the images this film shows or to forget the stories shared by the incarcerated individuals who work tirelessly to make things better even as they endure mistreatment and become targets because of their advocacy.
The Alabama Solution is a vital, urgent, and disturbing look at a situation that is worse than terrible and demands immediate action. Coming from HBO Documentary films, it’s affirming to know that it will soon have a wide audience which can bear witness to the horrors occurring within this supposedly great American nation. Audio clips of commentators expressing that those behind bars shouldn’t be entitled to anything because they’ve committed crimes further drive home the point that there should be a purpose to incarceration beyond simply locking people up that emphasizes rehabilitation and helping people to contribute positively to society, rather than cruelly drilling them into submission. This film needs to be seen by as many people as possible, and hopefully having that many eyes on it can begin to push those with the power to do better to get started on change.
Grade: B+
Check out more of Abe Friedtanzer’s articles.
The Alabama Solution makes its world premiere in the Premieres section at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.