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.
Michigan DOC staff will photocopy all original mail, including legal and confidential documents, then shred the originals in front of the recipient
The Justice Department is reviewing Colorado’s handling of medical care, youth detainee nutrition and gender housing policies
The former Pendleton inmate struck a corrections officer multiple times and placed him in a chokehold before being restrained
The group faces 13 charges after a months-long investigation into contraband at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women
Joseph Ray Snow was convicted of assault after breaking an inmate’s nose and kicking his teeth out during a 2022 booking
Sheriff Luna and DA Hochman support building a new facility, while county supervisors continue to push for closing Men’s Central Jail without building a replacement
The officers were acquitted of criminal charges but failed to follow the DOCCS policy requiring intervention during excessive force
David Kingsley was found guilty of murder and manslaughter, while two other officers were acquitted in the death of inmate Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility
James Sabatino, imprisoned at ADX Florence for running a luxury goods scam from his cell, argues the DOJ is misusing security measures to silence him
The former congressman had served just months of a 7-year sentence for identity theft and campaign fraud before receiving presidential clemency
Francis Chandler Jr. was promised a sentence of four years in state prison after pleading to second-degree gang assault in connection with inmate Messiah Nantwi’s death
Patricia Krenwinkel holds the distinction of being the state’s longest-incarcerated woman following her 1971 conviction
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
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