Alabama ADOC – Gov. Kay Ivey announced John Hamm’s retirement and named Greg Lovelace to run Alabama’s Department of Corrections through the rest of her term, as new prison construction and staffing goals continue.
Alabama’s top corrections post is changing hands, with Gov. Kay Ivey announcing the retirement of ADOC Commissioner John Hamm and a handpicked successor to keep major projects moving.
Ivey said Hamm is stepping down after what she called a “successful and transformative tenure. ” praising improvements during his time in the role.. Hamm has served since January 2022. bringing more than 35 years of law enforcement experience to a department that has long faced staffing shortages. security demands. and aging facilities.
Hamm’s exit and the governor’s succession plan
Under Ivey’s announcement. corrections and law enforcement veteran Greg Lovelace will lead the Alabama Department of Corrections through the remainder of the current quadrennium.. The governor framed the transition as both a reward for past work and a continuity plan for ongoing operational challenges.
Lovelace. currently serving as chief deputy commissioner. is scheduled to begin as commissioner on May 1. 2026—giving ADOC leadership a runway to prepare for the shift.. Ivey said she wanted an “expert” who understands the multilayered realities of corrections. including day-to-day safety and the management requirements that come with building new capacity.
Hamm’s message echoed that theme. He thanked Ivey for appointing him to lead the department forward and pointed to what ADOC has done under her administration, including increased hiring and broader efforts to curb misconduct.
Construction, staffing, and security remain the stakes
The centerpiece of Ivey’s remarks is the department’s momentum on prison expansion. According to the announcement, two new men’s prisons are under construction, with one—at the Governor Kay Ivey Correctional Complex in Elmore County—already being supported by Lovelace in his current role.
That matters because large corrections systems don’t just need new buildings; they need training pipelines. staffing depth. and operational readiness to safely transfer populations and run facilities without disruption.. The release also indicated staff training is underway now, with inmates eventually moved to the new complex.
Alongside construction. the governor credited the administration and Hamm for a “zero-tolerance policy” targeting misbehavior and violence involving both inmates and staff.. The same statement tied improvements to recruitment and retention. saying more corrections officers have been hired and kept than ever before.
For residents across Alabama, those items don’t land as policy buzzwords. Corrections planning affects public safety through staffing levels and workplace stability, and it affects families through the conditions inside a system that shapes how sentences are served.
Why the transition timing could shape the next chapter
Even though Lovelace has been embedded in leadership for years. taking over while major capital projects are in motion is different from stepping into a routine administrative role.. Transitions in corrections can determine whether training cycles. contract relationships. and internal discipline systems keep their momentum—or slip as leadership changes.
Ivey’s choice suggests she is aiming for continuity rather than a reset.. By promoting someone already overseeing maintenance and construction projects and managing all prisons in the system. the administration appears to be betting that institutional knowledge will reduce risk during a period when ADOC has to coordinate construction timelines. staffing readiness. and eventual transfers.
Lovelace’s law enforcement career began with the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office in 1975. according to the release. and he has more than 30 years of corrections experience.. That background is being positioned not just as credentials. but as reassurance for the public: the department is still being run by someone who understands both facilities and operations.
From a political perspective, the handoff also carries weight. Ivey is nearing the end of her tenure, and the governor’s approach—crediting Hamm while keeping Lovelace at the helm—signals an effort to protect the legacy of her corrections agenda into the next administration’s term.
What Alabama will watch next
For the months ahead, Alabama is likely to focus on whether ADOC can keep building toward measurable goals: officer hiring and retention, staff training progress for the new complex, and stability in how the department handles misconduct.
Hamm’s departure will mark the end of a specific leadership era that began with his 2022 appointment. Yet the operational priorities he highlighted—construction underway, training in motion, and a disciplined approach inside the system—are framed as continuing work under Lovelace.
If the transition stays smooth, Lovelace will be entering the commissioner role with a clear mandate: “finish strong,” as Ivey instructed, and ensure the department remains on course as the state manages one of its biggest prison-capacity phases in years.