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.
One corrections officer was permanently blinded after being stabbed with a piece of steel in 2020 at USP Allenwood
Cortlen Flax was convicted of official misconduct and simple assault after striking an inmate who later filed a civil rights lawsuit
Dr. Beth Fischgrund alleged she was fired and defamed after reporting safety threats and staff misconduct at Salinas Valley State Prison
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
The scanning policy, backed by AFSCME, follows reports of fentanyl and synthetic drugs entering prisons through letters and legal mail
LASD says hundreds of millions have gone into staffing, medical care and infrastructure, while the attorney general alleges preventable deaths and neglect
An autopsy cited complications from mechanical asphyxia, with cardiovascular disease as a contributing factor in the Wyandotte County Detention Center death
The proposal would remove a federal restriction that has long blocked prisons from using signal-jamming technology
The proposed ordinance would allow the review board to investigate care providers involved in in-custody deaths in San Diego County
The legislation is part of a broader effort to address chemical exposures in correctional facilities
The Department of Homeland Security called the ruling “a win for the American people, the rule of law and common sense”
How new federal tax rules could affect your paycheck, deductions and long-term savings
Prison officials say the goal is to minimize correctional staff involvement as the state prepares to make firing squad its primary method by 2026
Ralph Leroy Menzies, convicted of a 1986 murder, was days away from execution when the court intervened
Gov. Gavin Newsom said many offenders had faced childhood trauma and mental health struggles that shaped their crimes
A national lack of prison climate control is testing Eighth Amendment protections and correctional workforce resilience
Curtis Windom’s death marks Florida’s 11th execution in 2025 — a new state record since capital punishment resumed in 1976
The Third Circuit said FCI Fairton’s grievance system was sufficient and denied Rolando Muniz’s constitutional and disability claims
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