Alabama Department of Corrections Unveils Renovated Activity Center at Tutwiler Prison for Women

The $1.2 million investment provides strategically designed classroom and visitation spaces, including play area for children

WETUMPKA, Ala. – The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Tutwiler Prison for Women (Tutwiler) to unveil a newly renovated visitation center that will benefit inmates and visitors. The updated facility, known as the “Activity Center,” will include a play area designed to provide a comfortable visitation environment for children as well as classroom space where inmates will participate in gender-specific rehabilitative programming.

In 2020, Tutwiler was selected by the Urban Institute as one of five case study sites featuring promising practices and programs to address incarcerated women and their experiences with prior trauma and victimization. Additionally, the facility’s support of the Alabama Prison Birth Project, which supports pregnant inmates through pregnancy, labor, and separation, will be highlighted by an upcoming film – Tutwiler – produced by the Marshall Project. The documentary is due to be released for public viewing in Summer 2020.

“The Department is extremely proud of the monumental strides taken over the past few years that have allowed Tutwiler Prison for Women to become a national model for gender-responsive best practices in women’s facilities,” said ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn. “We know it is imperative for the correctional rehabilitation process to focus on meeting the needs of each of the women in our custody through improved programming and services. The Department is thrilled to have the opportunity to provide our female inmates with additional researched-based and gender-responsive programming.”

Recent studies have found that 2.7 million children in the U.S. have incarcerated parent(s) at any given time, while more than 5 million children have experienced parental incarceration at some point during their lives. In Alabama, confidential inmate surveys administered quarterly by Auburn University found that more than 80% of the women at Tutwiler reported having children.

“We are excited to unveil the newly renovated Activity Center – a space that represents progress towards the Department’s goal of providing our inmates with enhanced opportunities for rehabilitation,” said Deidra Wright, warden at Tutwiler. “In addition, we look forward to the positive benefits the play area will create for children visiting their incarcerated parents. With recent data showing that a vast majority of the prisoners at Tutwiler have children, we made it a priority to provide both the parent and child a calming visitation space.”

Under Commissioner Dunn’s leadership, the ADOC will continue to identify and invest in stronger research- and evidence-based rehabilitative programming and services for incarcerated individuals across the state’s correctional system. These efforts are designed not only to improve access to educational, vocational, and rehabilitative services, but also better prepare inmates for a successful reentry into society.

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