Legal
Legal issues in the correctional system encompass various topics, including inmate rights, staff conduct, and compliance with state and federal laws. This directory offers articles and resources on the legal aspects of correctional facility operations, helping staff stay informed about the regulations and policies that govern their work. Understanding legal responsibilities is essential for minimizing liability and ensuring facilities operate within the law. For more information, explore our section on Corrections Policies.
During closing arguments, the defense told the jury that their clients didn’t participate in the fatal assault of Robert Brooks and were trying to do their jobs in difficult circumstances
Why intensive, accountable treatment courts beat “probation as usual” and how agencies can target the right people, measure results and keep communities safe
Lance Shockley waited for hours near Sgt. Carl Graham Jr.’s home, then shot him with a rifle and shotgun as the trooper exited his cruiser
Amid nearly 30 vacancies at FCI Edgefield alone, prison teachers, nurses and electricians are being pulled to cover CO shifts without compensation
The new law raises wages for incarcerated firefighters from about $1 an hour to the federal minimum, with $10 million in state funding to support the increase
Robert Kessler, a former CO who took a plea deal, described in court how officers repeatedly hit and pepper-sprayed Robert Brooks before he died at a Utica hospital
Fred Singleton, 81, was ruled incompetent to be executed in 1993 but was never resentenced
Ten states have carried out executions in 2025, with Florida, Texas, Alabama and South Carolina leading the count
Ward, 53, was put to death by lethal injection, marking the state’s third execution since resuming capital punishment in 2024
Robert Roberson was days from lethal injection before judges cited new scientific concerns and a similar overturned conviction
The inmates broke free in May by escaping through a wall behind a toilet in the Orleans Parish jail
Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake met dozens of court-ordered reforms years after allegations of excessive force and abuse
Combs, serving over four years for transporting people for sex, says he’s undergone a “spiritual reset” in jail
Officials say the inmate set the fire, but the officers are accused of failing to intervene before his death at the William P. Clements Unit
A federal appeals court found prison officials are entitled to qualified immunity in a case involving a transgender inmate serving a life sentence for a 2007 murder
Prosecutors say the officer fired three shots during the unauthorized pursuit and continued illegal searches off jail grounds
Melanie Austin, a 34-year veteran at the Missouri DOC, alleges she faced race and age discrimination, as well as retaliation and a hostile work environment
Corrections officers and facility officials were accused of beating inmates during “forced extractions” in a high-security wing of the prison in 2021
The vote comes amid a years-long effort to curb crime on the streets facilitated by orders issued from incarcerated crime bosses
The county board of commissioners is committing nearly $20 million to a new behavioral health unit in the jail, expanding medical beds from 12 to 112
The judge noted that the inmate was awakened at 1 a.m., ordered to stand against a wall and beaten by three corrections officers
They called Combs “unrepentant” and said he “now argues that his victims should shoulder the blame”
The inmate had more than 20 disciplinary infractions, including assaults and weapon possession, while housed at MDC Brooklyn, court records show
A Monroe prison fatality review cited delays, paper records and miscommunication as factors that played a role in Michael Sublett’s death
Defense attorneys at both trials argued there was no DNA, no forensic evidence, no surveillance video and no diaries to prove what the government was alleging
Recommendations include expanding segregation eligibility and improving incentive programs to enhance facility safety
The audit found staffing, classification and alarm systems were compliant on the day inmate Rashawn Cannon killed Officer Andrew Lansing
The settlement resolves claims that more than 1,500 pregnant CDCR staff were forced to choose between unsafe duties, demotion or unpaid leave
Lena Summerlin, whose legal name was David Cassady at the time, was sentenced to 80 years for mailing bombs from prison to the DOJ and an Alaska courthouse in 2020
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