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.
Jurors recommended that Sheriff Kelly Martinez implement a continuous quality improvement dashboard and make it publicly accessible on the department’s website
The state hasn’t executed a death row inmate since June 2012
Oscar Smith was convicted of stabbing and shooting all three victims; the case involved insurance policies, threats and a 911 call naming him
David Stojcevski died while in custody at the Macomb County Jail while serving 30 days for a careless driving ticket that he couldn’t pay a fine for
Tennessee Correction Commissioner Derrick Schofield said the report was “a complete review,” “not just a Band-Aid”
An inmate is suing after he says Twins Falls County Jail staff and sheriff’s deputies ignored his knee injury and refused to provide medical care
An investigation conducted by an independent group concluded that the Nevada prison system needs more staff, improved training and better equipment
Robert Goguen, 40, of Bangor alleged in a lawsuit filed more than three years ago that jail officials conspired to deny him due process
A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit accusing a former acting director of the Illinois Department of Corrections of failing to provide accommodations to deaf and hard-of-hearing prisoners can go to trial as a class-action suit
New York City officials are looking for practical fixes they can put in place now to help the 50,000 people sent to jail every year because they can’t afford bail money
An inmate who wants to hang on to his hairstyle is seeking the approval of a local Cherokee tribe to certify him as a Native American
American Correctional Association is recommending doing away with a departmental rule that makes injury necessary for an assault charge
Republicans and Democrats have come together to propose major legislation that would reduce prison sentences for some nonviolent drug offenders
The lawsuit filed in state court by Isaha Casias describes a scene of panic among inmates inside an enclosed, crowded vehicle parked outside the state penitentiary in Santa Fe two years ago
The prisoners allege EMCF is plagued by violence against prisoners by fellow inmates and officers, and that it’s dark and filthy, especially in solitary confinement
The 25 people are from local faith-based organizations and plan to meet with others from around the country today to discuss immigration policy and incarceration as they follow Pope Francis around Philly
The Illinois Crime Reduction Act of 2009 ordered the state’s Department of Corrections to start a program dubbed “Risk, Assets and Needs Assessment” (RANA), which was to be implemented statewide by 2013
Vice Special Report: Fixing The System” makes a convincing case for reform in part by the use of statistics that have become disturbing to both Democratic and Republican politicians in recent years
The inmates alleged that they were forced to remain naked while their clothes were washed
His family is suing for wrongful death, saying he died of withdrawal from necessary medications
Two other employees made similar allegations earlier this year
Suit says that Christopher Malloyd was sent back to prison after former sheriff’s Capt. Thomas Trice “maliciously” and falsely reported him as a parole violator
Attorney James Chapman says Illinois prisons are dysfunctional, underfunded, and understaffed
A national group representing the left and right of the political spectrum is concentrating on Michigan as ripe for criminal justice changes
Julie Jones says she’s hired over 2,200 correctional officers in the last year, but lost another 1,400 to turnover
Lawsuits that come out of inhumane conditions at jails end up costing the most
Supervisors agreed to equip correctional officers with body cameras and set up a blue-ribbon commission aimed at real change within its troubled jails
A group of national experts, funded by a private foundation and the federal government, will be crunching the data to analyze what’s behind Montana’s inmate population growth and recommend some potential policy changes
Making “impressive” improvements but still needs more corrections officers, staff training and video cameras
Claims the sheriff “tormants” inmates by telling them someone is “stealing their thoughts”
Official: “This is not about being hard or soft on crime. It’s about being smart on crime.”
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan by the family of 30-year-old Samuel Harrell
A Cincinnati-based prisoners’ rights group alleged inmate Gregory Stamper was in severe pain from damage to his nervous system but had been refused medication by Dr. Myron Shank to help ease the pain
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