For Immediate Release:
July 23, 2026
For press inquiries only, contact:
Amanda Priest (334) 322-5694
William Califf (334) 604-3230
(Montgomery, Ala) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced today a final judgment which ends United States v. State of Alabama and Alabama Department of Corrections, closing out more than a decade of federal oversight of the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women. U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson’s order dismissed the case and the consent decree, following an agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Alabama to terminate the remaining terms of the consent decree that had governed operations at Tutwiler since 2015.
Alabama entered the consent decree, agreeing to reforms covering staff training, policies, oversight, and how allegations of abuse are reported and investigated. Over the following years, a monitor found Tutwiler in compliance with all 44 requirements of the decree, leading the Justice Department and the state to jointly ask the court to lift most of the remaining oversight. With this ruling, any outstanding requirements have been terminated, and the case is closed for good.
“This judgment marks an important milestone for Alabama. Over the past decade, the Alabama Department of Corrections has made real, measurable progress in strengthening oversight and safety at Tutwiler, and this judgment reflects that work,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said.
The Alabama Department of Corrections is no longer operating under court-ordered federal oversight tied to this case, and because the case was dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be reopened or refiled. Both sides will cover their own legal costs, and neither party carries any ongoing financial obligations tied to the litigation.
You can read the final judgment and the order to terminate the consent decree here.
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