March 29, 2024

AndronETalksNews

AndronETalksNews

Lawsuit aims to block Alabama from using COVID relief funds on prison projects

WWNO – New Orleans Public Radio |
 
By Mary Scott Hodgin (WBHM)
Published July 12, 2022 at 6:12 PM CDT
 

More than 60 men incarcerated in Alabama filed a lawsuit on Monday against the U.S. Department of the Treasury, asking a federal judge to restrict the state from spending $400 million of its COVID-19 pandemic relief money on new prisons.

The move comes months after the Department of the Treasury issued guidance saying prison construction is a “generally ineligible” use of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds.

The plaintiffs claim in the lawsuit that new buildings will not improve prison conditions and do not help communities recover from the pandemic. They also allege that Treasury officials are breaking the law by refusing to intervene and are asking a federal judge to step in.

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