U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson on Monday ordered that the State of Alabama has until 2025 to increase staff levels within its prison system, according to the Associated Press (AP).

AP reports that Thompson’s 600-page opinion honed in on what he described as the prison system’s lack of progress.

The federal judge in 2017 ruled that, due in part to inadequate staffing, the conditions of the state’s prisons stood in violation of the Eighth Amendment’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Thompson asserted that the Alabama Department of Correction’s (ADOC) staffing issues still persist.

“What was true four years ago is no less true today: ADOC does not have enough correctional staff to provide constitutionally adequate mental-health care to prisoners who need it,” wrote Thompson.

He added, “The absence of security staff prevents people who need treatment from accessing it, stops those whose mental health is deteriorating from being caught before they lapse into psychosis or suicidality, and fosters an environment of danger, anxiety, and violence that constantly assaults the psychological stability of people with mental illness in ADOC custody.”

AP reports that Thompson noted staffing in Alabama’s prisons had hardly increased over the past three years. He had originally ruled that the state must meet staffing requirements of having 3,826 full-time equivalent officers by February 20, 2022. The judge amended the date to July 1, 2025, citing to the amount of officers needing to be hired by the initial date being “out of reach.”

According to the outlet, Thompson set yearly benchmarks to track ADOC’s progress in meeting essential position hiring requirements he had set forth.

In addition to the staffing requirements, the judge also ordered the state to make certain changes to the way mental health care was provided to inmates. Thompson also noted that at least 27 inmates had committed suicide since his last ruling in 2017.

He wrote, “The critical question is whether it can sustain that progress, given its severe shortage of correctional staff, as it implements relief in other areas.”

Thompson left open the possibility of taking additional action against the state should issues pertaining to its prison system remain unresolved, AP reports.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL