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.
Stephen Bryant, convicted of killing three people in 2004, was the seventh inmate executed in South Carolina since the state resumed capital punishment in 2024
The CO planted a sharpened 4.5-inch piece of plexiglass in an inmate’s cell, then filed four false reports, the DA said
The court ruled against David Gambino, who claimed Niagara County Jail staff violated his First Amendment rights by serving tainted kosher meals
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
Two corrections officers were promised 22 years in prison in exchange for the guilty plea, while two others face 3 to 9 years for their roles in the fatal assault at Marcy Correctional Facility
The recommendations would expand solitary confinement for harassment, assaults and repeat low-level misconduct
The New Orleans man was convicted as a habitual offender after a jury found him guilty of battery on a correctional officer
Alexander Daravina is accused of orchestrating a scheme to file false unemployment claims for fellow inmates while incarcerated at SCI Phoenix
The officer was hit in the eyes and mouth and required medical treatment and disease monitoring, S.C. DOC officials said
Probation officials transferred 39 detainees to Barry J. Nidorf without required reinspection or clearance from regulators
The former congressman called the unit “hell on earth” and says the FBI is looking into an alleged plot to kill him
Steven Bixby, convicted of killing two Abbeville County officers, argues his anti-government beliefs make him unfit for execution under state law
Christian Walker died in custody after two confrontations with corrections officers at High Desert State Prison
The bill aims to compensate incarcerated crews more fairly and improve rehabilitation opportunities
The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board will now be able to investigate the actions of jail medical staff and contractors involved in custody death cases
A Somerset County jury convicted Paul J. Kendrick of first-degree murder and sentenced him to death for killing Sgt. Mark Baserman in 2018
MOST POPULAR
- Prison violence, staff vacancies continue despite new hires, Md. COs’ union says
- Fired after N.Y. prison strike, 3 correctional officers join sheriff’s office
- N.Y. governor warns striking corrections officers they could ‘lose everything’
- Inside MDC Brooklyn where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is locked up
- Death of inmate Robert Brooks ruled homicide after assault by N.Y. corrections officers