Beth Shelburne's Oscar Nomination: Alabama Prison Exposé

0:00In Birmingham, it's March 8th. Here's what is happening. Beth Shelburn, a Birmingham journalist, is making waves with an Oscar nomination. She's a co-producer on the Alabama solution, an HBO documentary up for best documentary feature at the 98th Academy Awards. The film exposes violence and corruption in Alabama prisons after six years of investigation. Earlier this decade, Shelburn anchored the news at WBRC Fox 6 for nearly 10 years. She earned an Emmy and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards over a 20-year career. But in 2018, a heart attack while grocery shopping changed everything. She left her stable TV job to focus on criminal justice reform and the state's prison crisis. Her independent reporting made a real difference. Partnering with the Alabama Applesys Center, she helped free men wrongly imprisoned or stuck, due to unfair sentences. Some had served decades behind bars. In 2023, she launched her podcast Ear Witness, diving into the wrongful conviction of death

1:03row in May, Toferas Johnson, who has spent more than 25 years in prison. The documentary builds on that work. Researchers track 1,377 deaths in state facilities over six years. Much of the footage came from inmates using hidden cell phones, risking harsh punishment to share their stories. Birmingham is proud of Shelburn, joining locals like Louise Fletcher and Daniel Shinerd with Oscar nods. The 98th Academy Awards air live on ABC and stream on Hulu this Sunday, March 15th. This episode is supported by our sponsor, C Details in the Description. Some chase peace. I put my head in it, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com.