Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, standing at a lecturn on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 24, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. The Senate passed Barfoot's bill that would allow parole applicants and victims to participate in parole hearings virtually. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
The Alabama Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow crime victims and parole applicants to participate in parole hearings virtually.
SB 240, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would allow participants to virtually participate in parole hearings through phone, video conference or something similar.
“The bill that we have allows for audio, visual, Zoom-type communications between the victim, victim’s family, any of those who are standing in on behalf of the victim as well as the inmate,” Barfoot said in an interview after the Senate adjourned. “I think that’s important, because you have more involvement by those people who are affected by this crime. You also have the ability for the inmate to answer questions of the parole board before they make a decision about whether or not that individual is going to be paroled.”
Currently, people who are incarcerated cannot participate in their own parole hearings. Barfoot said that it is important for them, and their victims, to be present and have it be practical for participation to be virtual.
“What that individual says is important for that judge to make a decision, or the Pardons and Parole Board to make a decision. What have you learned? You’ve been in prison for 20 years, 10 years, 30 years,” Barfoot said.
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, offered an amendment to clarify whose responsibility it is to set up the technology for inmates. The amendment also changed the effective date from Oct. 1 to March 1, 2027. The amendment passed 33-0.
“It gives them an opportunity to work something out together and get it done,” Singleton said.
Barfoot said that responsibility should, and does with the amendment, lie with the Alabama Department of Corrections.
A message seeking comment from the department was left Tuesday evening.
“The accountability lies with 140 members of the Legislature. If they don’t work to further along what we need, assuming this bill passes, then we’ve got a hammer in the way of a budget and the ability to craft new legislation,” Barfoot said.
Barfoot said the virtual option for parole hearings is important because often the hearings only last a few minutes, but victims travel from across the state.
“The Pardons and Parole hearings, sometimes last only a very short period of time, and individuals from around the state from the victims and the victim’s family side of the equation are having to travel great distances to be here for several hours only to speak for a couple minutes,” Barfoot said.
The bill passed 33-0. It goes to the House of Representatives.
From Alabama Reflector Post Url: Visit
Author: Anna Barrett