Don Siegelman, Alabama’s first progressive governor, advanced the cause of justice for African Americans and women, appointing more African Americans as judges than had been elected or appointed in Alabama history. This drove the Republicans crazy. The coup de grace was that Governor Siegelman was going to give free college education and free early learning to all Alabama children.

Civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, P. VIII states “Stealing Our Democracy, by Don Siegelman, New South Books, 2020 is a must read”.

“In his book, Don Siegelman explodes the myth of an impartial justice
system. Once Governor Siegelman was touted as possibly challenging
President George W. Bush, Alabama, little known as being significant in
national politics, suddenly became a brutal political battleground. Karl Rove
was then George W. Bush’s Senior Political Advisor.”

In Don’s own words…

“I found myself under investigation and indictment by Karl Rove’s client, Alabama’s Attorney General and by Rove’s hand-picked U.S. Attorney, whose husband was running my Republican opponent’s campaign. My political opponents used the federal judicial system to take me out of contention in Alabama and nationally. I was charged with bribery for soliciting a contribution to support a state referendum to provide free college education and early learning for all Alabama children.

There was no testimony of a quid pro quo and no allegation that I benefitted by a single penny. There were however politicized prosecutors and a corrupt judge. I was sentenced to 88 months and served 5 years with long stretches in solitary confinement. I was stripped of my freedom,  my constitutional rights, and my chance to change Alabama for the better.

If this happened to me, as governor, it could also happen to you.

That’s why the abuse of power by prosecutors must be brought under control.

I have drawn on my personal experience as Attorney General, governor,
and as a prison inmate, to show why and how our criminal justice system
must be changed to preserve individual rights and liberty and to protect our democracy.

First, we must curtail prosecutorial immunity, limiting their ability to present false evidence or withhold exculpatory evidence.

Secondly, we must turn our prison system right side up. We must change our prison mandate from one of warehousing and punishment to one focused on rehabilitation, through education and job training with necessary drug treatment and mental health services.”

As a result of his incarceration, Don saw firsthand the evils of our prison system and how the lack of education, rehabilitation, mental health support, and drug
treatment programs keeps individuals released from prison returning over and
over again.  When he had his freedom, he knew he had to try to change the
system to help others.

Advocates 4 Justice will help break this cycle of corruption and lack of services to people who are incarcerated by changing the Grand Jury System and providing education, rehabilitation, job training, and socialization skills to all who will be re-entering our communities.