Alabama ends federal oversight of Julia Tutwiler women’s prison

U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson dismissed the Justice Department’s case against the Alabama Department of Corrections and terminated the consent decree that has governed the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka since 2015. The decree resulted from a DOJ lawsuit alleging systemic sexual abuse, harassment, and unconstitutional conditions at the facility.

An independent monitor found the prison in compliance with all 44 consent‑decree requirements, prompting the Justice Department and the state to jointly request termination. The judgment ends more than a decade of federal oversight, with each side bearing its own attorney fees. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall welcomed the decision, citing significant progress in prison safety and oversight.