Alabama has agreed to make changes at state prisons to accommodate inmates with disabilities.
A federal judge gave a preliminary approval to a lawsuit settlement agreement between inmates and the state prison system last month. The state will have 32 months from final approval to make sure disabled inmates can access education programs and other facilities.
The claims are part of a broader lawsuit over prison medical care.
Disabled inmates say in the 2014 federal lawsuit they were kept in facilities that couldn't safely accommodate them. They say they were inappropriately housed with higher security inmates for no reason other than their disabilities.
Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Maria Morris says the settlement will ensure disabled inmates are appropriately housed.
The July Fourth weekend is wrapping up and drivers can expect a lot of company on the road. APR’s student reporter Keith Huffman has more…
Forty three million people are expected to be traveling a distance of fifty miles or more during the July Fourth holiday. That’s about five million more travelers compared with Memorial Day.
Clay Ingram is a spokesman for Triple A Alabama. He says having others in the car can be beneficial for drivers…
“And another thing that you can do to make your trip safer is have-have someone in the car handle the-the administrative, in-car duties, whether it’s handing out snacks, food to the kids or changing the radio station, reading a map, uh, answering the cell phone so that-that the driver can keep his or her focus on the road at all times.”
Ingram also advises motorists to research where cheaper gas is available along their travels. A free AAA app is available to help motorists find lower-priced gas stations.
This Independence Day the Alabama Forestry Commission wants to remind those celebrating to observe fire safety precautions.
Forestry officials have made several recommendations such as avoiding shooting fireworks near combustible materials, and have a source of water nearby where the fireworks are to be fired.
Balsie* Butler is the Fire Operations Chief. He says people need to be cautious because it hasn’t rained very much lately around Alabama,
“You know, we’re getting some rain, but then we’re getting high winds behind that rain which is drying out the fields in most forested areas. So we just, you know, during the Fourth of July weekend, most people like to celebrate with fireworks, and we just want to urge them to use safety while they are shooting those fireworks.”
If a fire does start, the forestry commission recommends not fighting it by yourself. You should instead call 911 and wait in a safe place for the arrival of the fire department.