What is The Alabama Solution about?
From the makers of The Jinx, The Alabama Solution lifts the lid on systemic failings within the Alabama prison system.
First entering Easterling Correctional Facility in 2019 to record a religious revival meeting, filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman are approached by inmates who tell them they are suffering at the hands of guards.
Starting their own investigation, the filmmakers spent the next six years following what goes on behind bars when guards think people aren’t looking – from inhumane conditions to abuse, inhumane conditions and forced labour across multiple penitentiaries.
Teaming up with inmates within the system considered one of the most dangerous in the entire United States, footage was captured on contraband phones, which helped the team maintain contact with those willing to help raise awareness of what they were experiencing.
Over the course of the project, inmate Steven Davis was killed by the guards meant to be looking after him at Donaldson Correctional Facility in October 2019, sustaining injuries that left “his head shaped like an alien”.
His mother, Sandy Ray, led the demand for those responsible for her son’s death to be held accountable. As well as this, prison rights group the Free Alabama Movement campaigned for fairer conditions and treatment – culminating in a strike in 2022.
While the incidents involved in the documentary continue to unfold to this day, The Alabama Solution premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2025.
Who stars in The Alabama Solution?
The Alabama Solution features testimonials from real inmates in Alabama, as well as interviews with politicians, loved ones of those incarcerated, and released prisoners. They also use archival footage.
Among those we hear from are:
Robert Earl ‘Kinetik Justice’ Council – co-founder of the Free Alabama Movement
Melvin ‘Bennu Hannibal Ra-Sun’ Ray – co-founder of the Free Alabama Movement
Sandy Ray – mother of the late Steven Davis
Brandon Davis – brother of the late Steven Davis
Raoul Poole (aka Ricardo Mundez Poole) – inmate at Bullock Correctional Facility
Hank Sherrod – civil rights lawyer
Quante Cockerell – former correctional officer
Stacy George – former correctional officer
Steve Marshall – Alabama Attorney General
Jeffery Williams – Deputy Commissioner
How successful has The Alabama Solution been?
The Alabama Solution has received widespread critical acclaim since its release – earning a rare 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Variety declared the film “one of the most powerful exposés of the inhumanity of the American prison system [they’ve] ever seen” in their review.
It has now been nominated for Best Documentary at the 2026 Academy Awards.
How to watch The Alabama Solution in the UK
The Alabama Solution is available to watch now on Sky Documentaries.
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