The Alabama Solution (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A documentary follows the Alabama prison system through the eyes of incarcerated leaders and the investigation into a fatal beating.
The story
The Alabama Solution is a documentary that follows the prison system in Alabama from the perspective of incarcerated leaders. Following a 2019 visit to a religious revival meeting where incarcerated men shared accounts of abuse and systemic failures, filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman began a six-year investigation. The film centers on the death of Steven Davis, who was beaten to death by prison guards, and follows his mother, Sandy Ray, as she seeks answers. The documentary also profiles incarcerated activists Robert Earl Council and Melvin Ray, who co-founded the Free Alabama Movement and organized protests from within the prison system.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The Alabama Solution is a documentary that follows the prison system in Alabama from the perspective of incarcerated leaders. Following a 2019 visit to a religious revival meeting where incarcerated men shared accounts of abuse and systemic failures, filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman began a six-year investigation. During this period, incarcerated men used contraband cell phones to document conditions and communicate with the filmmakers. The documentary centers on the death of Steven Davis, who was beaten to death by prison guards, and follows his mother, Sandy Ray, as she seeks answers. The film also profiles incarcerated activists Robert Earl Council and Melvin Ray, who co-founded the Free Alabama Movement and organized protests from within the prison system. The title refers to a phrase used by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, who insisted the state could address its prison problems without federal intervention.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Andrew Jarecki; Charlotte Kaufman
- Writers
- Andrew Jarecki · writer; Charlotte Kaufman · writer; Page Marsella · writer
- Cast and characters
- Robert Earl Council · Robert Earl Council; Melvin Ray · Melvin Ray
- Genres
- documentary
- Themes
- prison system; systemic failure; activism; justice
- Tone and mood
- shocking; visceral; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- prison system; Alabama; investigative documentary
- Reception
- The Alabama Solution received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with critics describing it as a visceral and powerful exposé of the inhumanity of the American prison system.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 100% · scale: percentage · review count: 31; Metacritic · score: 90 · scale: 100 · review count: 9
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Awards · Best Documentary · nominated
- Production trivia
- The title refers to a phrase used by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.; One of the producers, Alelur "Alex" Duran, was formerly incarcerated.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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