MONTGOMERY, Ala.— Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) celebrates the signing of Alabama’s new civil forfeiture data bill (SB123). The state’s civil asset forfeiture process has historically had a disproportionate impact on Black and brown Alabamians forcing them into a state of perpetual poverty and tedious legal gridlock. It is vital to have accurate data reporting readily available to changemakers, community members, and activists to limit the collateral consequences these actions can have.
In February, the SPLC released Ending Business as Usual: The Need for Alabama Civil Asset Forfeiture Data Transparency report demanding full data transparency as an accountability method and to inform equitable policy solutions to reform the process. The report found communities with significant Black populations experienced an increase of cash seizures by 42.6 percent from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2023. With the currently available data, researchers across the state have attempted to determine the impact of these forfeitures on local communities, but that data only scratches the surface of the overarching problem.
“As highlighted by SPLC’s report, this bill is an important step to better understand the far-reaching impact of the civil asset forfeiture process in the state. SPLC has been at the forefront to create more transparency by working diligently with lawmakers and key stakeholders,” said Jerome Dees, Alabama Policy Director, SPLC. “This new law is a first step but an important one to figure out the totality of the harm done. Based on what we know now, Black and Brown and lower-income communities are often targeted the most by the civil asset forfeiture process, and this data can reveal what changes need to be made to the process to ensure we limit the collateral harm done to our fellow Alabamians.”
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About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.