**Rattling the Bars: The Alabama Solution — An Interview with Dakarai Larriett**
*Hosted by Mansa Musa*
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**Mansa Musa:**
Welcome to this edition of *Rattling the Bars*. I’m your host, Mansa Musa. We’ve been focusing intently on what’s happening down in Sweet Home, Alabama, giving people a voice and turning the volume up on their concerns about what should be done in Alabama’s prison system.
The term “Alabama solution” emerged from a documentary that highlighted the conditions within Alabama’s prison system. When the governor was confronted with the realities of abuse in the system and the U.S. Attorney General’s mandate to address these horrendous conditions, the governor insisted: this is not a Justice Department problem or solution — it’s Alabama’s responsibility to fix. That phrase, “the Alabama solution,” has become a focal point of this conversation.
Joining me today is Dakarai Larriett, who has developed his own solution for the crisis facing Alabama’s prisons. Full disclosure: Dakarai is running for the United States Senate in Alabama. We are not endorsing him; rather, we want to explore his views on what needs to be done. Welcome to *Rattling the Bars*, Dakarai.
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Thank you, Mansa. It’s great to be back with the Real News Network, and I’m excited to discuss the Alabama solution today.
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**Mansa Musa:**
Let’s start there. Can you explain your political aspirations and your perspective?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Certainly. I’m a candidate for the United States Senate. This campaign really took off after my own experience with a false arrest in Michigan, where I was the victim of an attempted drug planting by the Michigan State Police. This personal experience gave me deep insight into broken criminal justice systems nationwide.
I’m especially concerned about recent legislation here in Alabama, like HB 202, which expanded qualified immunity not only for police but also for corrections officers — a move I believe undermines justice.
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**Mansa Musa:**
So, you’re running for the Senate seat currently held by Tommy Tuberville, who is now running for governor?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Yes. It’s a wide-open primary on both the Republican and Democratic sides. Just to note, back in 2017, Democrat Doug Jones won this same Senate seat, so it is possible for a Democrat to succeed in Alabama.
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**Mansa Musa:**
You’ve been asked what makes you different from other candidates. The Alabama prison industrial complex is linked to a broad network that benefits from cheap labor, involving food service plants and more. Our investigation revealed that parole is often denied because of this labor exploitation. Given this entrenched system—rooted since the Civil War—what makes you think you can change the narrative?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Unlike many opponents, I’m not running to enrich myself or to further the prison industrial complex. I’ve spent 20 years in public service—working in New York City advocating for homeless and LGBT youth, fighting the opioid crisis through harm reduction, and supporting equitable education access back here in Alabama.
I envision transforming our correctional system into a place of restoration, offering drug treatment, vocational training, and support so people can reintegrate and become productive members of society. Prisons should not be mere warehouses, as the governor suggests in the documentary.
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**Mansa Musa:**
The current governor’s solution is “building your way out,” proposing mega prisons to address overcrowding. What are your thoughts on that?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
My information suggests the three proposed mega prisons are designed mainly to consolidate populations, not to add more beds. So, they won’t alleviate overcrowding, which remains unresolved.
Moreover, the scale of these prisons is frightening. A major issue is that many nonviolent, first-time offenders are housed here, and some are murdered shortly before release. In 2024 alone, 277 people died in Alabama prisons. Building mega prisons—even naming one after Governor Kay Ivey—is not the solution.
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**Mansa Musa:**
The Justice Department weighed in, citing violations of the Eighth Amendment related to cruel and unusual punishment. Yet, the governor and the state Attorney General refuse to implement mandated changes, calling this an “Alabama solution.”
If the federal government can’t enforce its mandates despite strong support, how do you plan to get things done as a political candidate?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
It’s a tough challenge. Interestingly, the complaint was initiated under the first Trump administration by Attorney General Sessions, showing this is a longstanding, chronic problem.
The key is raising public awareness and holding leaders accountable at the ballot box. I spoke at the Prison Joint Legislative Oversight Committee this spring to express concerns, and awareness is growing—as shown by recent meetings needing larger venues due to public turnout. Something is shifting in Alabama.
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**Mansa Musa:**
The documentary showed mobilized family members, but their numbers were small compared to the overall prison population facing these conditions. What’s your strategy for mobilizing people?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Communication in terms Alabamians understand is essential. Since 2020, the state has spent $57 million defending corrections officers accused of brutalizing and torturing prisoners—an unacceptable misuse of taxpayer dollars and against Alabama’s professed Christian values.
Even before the documentary, I reached out and created viral social media videos to galvanize public urgency. I frequently call out Attorney General Steve Marshall, who’s featured in the documentary and is also running for Senate. Whenever he praises Alabama’s prison system, I respond with my critique and share the videos widely, often getting more views than the originals.
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**Mansa Musa:**
Alabama has a strong conservative base with deep cultural roots. How do you plan to reach broad populations who might not share your views but care about economics and taxes?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
We started the campaign with a promise to listen, and that’s what I’ve done over the past five or six months—engaging hundreds of Alabamians to understand their key concerns: economics, education, healthcare.
My messaging focuses on these everyday issues. My website, DakaraiLarriett.com, outlines my plans. I’m not just raising complaints; I’m creating specific legislative proposals such as the “Motorist’s Bill of Rights,” aimed at transparency and accountability in law enforcement interactions for all Alabamians.
Regarding prisons, I have a comprehensive six-part plan that includes drug treatment programs, preventing contraband, vocational and educational training, and reintegration—all designed to shift prisons from mere warehousing to true departments of correction.
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**Mansa Musa:**
Speaking of accountability: fentanyl use in Alabama prisons is high, and contraband is widespread, which suggests complicity by some staff. Additionally, the prison labor system profits businesses, with corporations benefiting from cheap or free prison labor—some have even contributed to political campaigns. How will you address this, given the potential challenges in coalition-building?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
It’s true that as a Democrat in Alabama, securing business funding is difficult unless you’re in reelection mode. But we can identify and call out businesses complicit in this industrial complex.
My plan includes establishing a civilian oversight board involving families impacted by incarceration to provide advice, investigation, and accountability. I also propose a comprehensive legislative review of prison policies and business practices, including parole denial trends, which the documentary highlights. This transparency and oversight are vital steps.
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**Mansa Musa:**
The culture within the prison system tolerates violent and exploitative behaviors. Corporations demand free labor under threat, and illicit activity flourishes with impunity. How can you realistically impact this to build a coalition capable of enacting real change?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Realistically, there is deep entrenchment, and many profit from the system. That’s why I aim for change driven federally—enacting clear laws and oversight that must be enforced.
Awareness is growing, with documentary screenings statewide. Although 51% support might be out of reach now, building broader coalitions is ongoing. Federal legislation will be key to enforcing meaningful reform.
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**Mansa Musa:**
In Maryland, Democratic votes are concentrated in a few populous counties, making elections predictable if those bases are mobilized. In Alabama, the situation is reversed: Democratic voters are a smaller percentage, surrounded largely by Republican areas. Can you unpack that for us?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Alabama is tough for Democrats. Jefferson County, where I live, is the bluest area and the state’s largest population center. Then there’s the Black Belt with a high Black population, plus cities like Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery which lean blue.
Our strategy involves winning these key areas while also engaging rural voters, including farmers. We craft messages that resonate statewide around kitchen-table issues affecting everyone.
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**Mansa Musa:**
This documentary and increased attention could be a golden opportunity to connect the dots for the public between the prison system and everyday economic and social concerns. How will you make those connections clear?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Absolutely—everything is interconnected. That $57 million spent defending corrections officers could instead fund education and infrastructure. The education trust fund is being raided to pay for prisons, which are already costly and inefficiently managed.
Moreover, Alabama’s homicide rate is 80% higher than the national average, indicating a lack of true public safety.
This administration’s approach isn’t working. Instead, evidence-based policies focusing on harm reduction, vocational and educational programs, and reintegration offer practical pathways to safety and community wellbeing, benefiting every Alabamian.
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**Mansa Musa:**
The governor argues that the high homicide rate demands more prisons to take criminals off the streets. How do you respond?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
They’re actually not building more beds, just consolidating existing populations in nicer buildings. That makes no logical sense.
We have much “low hanging fruit” to improve safety—like responsible gun laws. Alabama has permitless open and concealed carry laws, escalating violent crime since their passage.
Building mega prisons without addressing underlying issues won’t solve the problem.
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**Mansa Musa:**
The state legislature unanimously voted to fund new prisons. At the federal level, how can you counter this consensus without being seen as opposing state rights?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
As a senator, my role is to advocate for the people of Alabama, balancing federal and state interests.
I won’t support strategies that undermine safety or well-being—even if the state supports them.
I’m yet to hear of effective programs in these prisons. I advocate for transparency, civilian oversight, reconsidering legislation like HB 202, and evidence-based reforms. While these are complex, advocacy from Washington can apply pressure and drive equitable policies.
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**Mansa Musa:**
How do you plan to build relationships with state delegates, city officials, and other local leaders to promote that “Alabama solution” as a people-centered approach, rather than the outdated and oppressive Jim Crow legacy?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
It starts with listening. I’m on a 67-county listening tour across Alabama, forming relationships with sheriffs, police chiefs, local leaders, and affected families.
My focus includes decriminalizing mental health crises and expanding community-based responses, currently developing in Jefferson County, and expanding statewide.
Building collaborative partnerships is essential for sustainable reform.
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**Mansa Musa:**
Finally, how is the current federal government shutdown impacting Alabama, especially regarding programs like SNAP and food security?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
It’s tragic that government dysfunction threatens vital services. As a Meals on Wheels driver, I see the needs regularly.
One in seven Alabamians relies on SNAP benefits, which face cuts. This impacts food security and the broader economy—these dollars circulate immediately.
The shutdown’s effects will quickly ripple across communities, and I’m committed to serving seniors and vulnerable populations during this time.
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**Mansa Musa:**
Dakarai, thank you for this enlightening and educational conversation. How can our audience keep up with your campaign and support your efforts?
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**Dakarai Larriett:**
Thank you, Mansa. You can visit my website at [DakaraiLarriett.com](http://www.dakarailarriett.com), and follow us on social media @DakaraiLarriettForSenate.
We’re seeking volunteers and donations and will soon start phone banking to spread awareness and get out the vote. You can phone bank from anywhere in the U.S., and I look forward to connecting with everyone.
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**Mansa Musa:**
Thank you, Dakarai Larriett. Just as Harold Washington transformed Chicago politics and varied leaders are shaking up political landscapes nationwide, we hope you, our audience, will consider the ideas shared here.
Please continue supporting The Real News Network and *Rattling the Bars*. Donate, watch, critique, and most importantly, participate.
Because here, we’re truly delivering the real news.
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*End of Interview*
https://therealnews.com/why-more-mega-prisons-wont-fix-alabamas-crisis