Alabama’s Tough‑On‑Crime Stance: A Closer Look

Steve Marshall, the state’s attorney general, has long claimed a hard‑line approach to crime. Yet his record shows a different story. While he has spoken loudly about the scourge of criminal activity, his actions have often sidestepped real reforms. In many cases he has closed the very offices that once held powerful offenders accountable, such as the corruption unit that investigated governors and legislators. This move effectively ended Alabama’s “Era of Corruption” by ignoring the problem rather than solving it. The same pattern appears in his handling of the state’s prison system. When a federal report described Alabama prisons as unconstitutional and dangerous, Marshall chose to defend the status quo. He also dismissed a documentary that exposed the harsh conditions inside those facilities as “propaganda. ” By refusing to address violence, sexual assault, and other abuses, he lets the system continue to treat inmates as expendable.

Marshall’s rhetoric often shifts focus to external issues—like the Equal Rights Amendment or transgender rights—to divert attention from domestic failures. He argues that voters care less about the dignity of prisoners than they do about his tough‑on‑crime image. This strategy has helped him maintain political support, even as the state’s prisons face criticism from national leaders. His stance on capital punishment further illustrates his priorities. When Governor Kay Ivey commuted the death sentence of Rocky Myers, Marshall expressed shock and implied that the governor was overstepping her authority. He repeated a similar criticism when Ivey commuted the sentence of Charles Lee “Sonny” Burton, claiming that it was unjust to kill a person while the actual perpetrator remained alive. These comments reveal more about his own beliefs than about justice or fairness. In Alabama’s legal tradition, a principle known as Blackstone’s Ratio reminds us that it is preferable for some guilty individuals to escape punishment than for an innocent one to suffer. Marshall’s actions suggest he has his own version of this principle, favoring the status quo over reform. Whether or not he truly believes in a moral code remains unclear, but his record shows a consistent pattern of deflecting responsibility and maintaining the status quo.

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