That was then, this is now. Alabama's prisons

1995 (not a typo)

Photo by Retiring Guy

Chain Gangs to Return to Roads of Alabama.  (The New York Times, 3/26/1995)

The state's Prison Commissioner, Ron Jones, who believes prison should be hard, said there were a lot of reasons why he decided to revive chain gangs, but the big one was "deterrence." He said the sight of a man in chains would leave a lasting impression on young people.

Why Alabama now admits its prisons are the worst.  (al.com, 3/12/2017)

Oh no, I did it again. 

The DOC hates when correctional officers are called guards. It's demeaning, or insulting, or something. 

But what's really insulting is a prison where inmate population is double the intended capacity and staffing for correctional officers is half what it's designed to be. 

What's insulting is the state's effort to save money by hiring dozens of "cubicle operators," who are paid like short order cooks but not as well trained, who take up space but are barred from having any actual contact with inmates.

Alabama's incarceration rate is fifth worst in the world:  Study.  (al.com, 6/10/2016)

Alabama is far from the only jail-happy state in the South, though. Washington, D.C. imprisons a higher proportion of its population than any other state, country or territory at a whopping 1,196 people per 100,000. But Louisiana and Georgia aren't far behind, with 1,143 incarcerated people per 100,000 and 1,004 incarcerated people per 100,000, respectively.