New Research: Homicide Rate in Alabama Prisons Five Times Higher Than State as a Whole

In a new study, EJI researchers have found that people incarcerated in Alabama’s “secure” prisons die by homicide and suicide at much higher rates than Alabama residents who are not incarcerated.

With a statewide mortality rate four times the most recently reported national mortality rate, Alabama is an outlier compared to other Southern states, including Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida.

According to data released by the Alabama Department of Corrections, more than 45% of deaths in ADOC custody were due to homicide, suicide, or fatal overdose.

In order to understand this data, EJI analyzed the comparative mortality rates in Alabama prisons and Alabama as a whole.^{1 These findings come from new research identifying the age of each individual who died in state custody in 2023, as reported by the Department of Corrections in a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Alabama Appleseed and employ the age-adjusted mortality rate, a statistical measure used by the CDC and Alabama Department of Health to enable comparisons between populations with different age distributions. The date of birth for each individual was identified through court documents.}

EJI researchers have found that people are murdered in Alabama’s prisons at a rate 513% higher than Alabamians who are not incarcerated.^{2 Homicides: AL rate = 15.1 per 100,000; ADOC rate = 92.5 per 100,000.}

EJI also found that the fatal overdose rate in Alabama’s prisons was 1,629% higher than the rate for Alabamians who were not incarcerated.^{3 Overdoses: AL rate = 33.9 per 100,000; ADOC rate = 586.3 per 100,000.}

Data also show that the suicide rate for people incarcerated in Alabama’s prisons was 135% higher than for Alabama residents not in ADOC custody.^{4 Suicides: AL rate = 16.9 per 100,000; ADOC rate = 39.8 per 100,000.}

These figures include only the causes of death reported in ADOC statistical reports and may be an undercount. As of March 2025, ADOC had not yet reported causes of death for 6% of deaths (18 out of 325) occurring in 2023, with some deaths reported only years after the fact.