Alabama plans to use Covid relief funds to finance prison-building spree

Decarceration advocates urge lawmakers to consider sentencing reform instead as prisons have seen high rates of Covid outbreaks

The southern US state of Alabama, which has the highest death rate from Covid-19 in America, is planning to use Covid relief funds to help construct three large prisons and renovate several others.

State lawmakers began a special session on Monday to discuss the $1.3bn construction project, which would use up to $400m from American Rescue Plan funds allocated to the state - nearly 20% of Alabama's federal pandemic relief money.