The head of the Alabama Parole Board on Thursday questioned why the state should grant parole to a 68-year-old dying man who served 11 years of a life sentence for growing marijuana in Florala.

Despite the five-year wait until his next hearing, his lawyer was able to get him an earlier hearing due to his medical issues, under what’s called medical parole. Medical furlough is used ...

And he, too, was released on medical furlough, in December. But the younger Taylor died of lung cancer in February, two weeks before his parole hearing was set for March 6. Medical furlough is ...