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.
Jeffrey Hutchinson killed his girlfriend and her three children with a 12-gauge shotgun and was convicted in 2001
The Garden State Youth Correctional Facility’s inspection score rose from 72.9% to 85% after the DOC made key repairs and sanitation upgrades benefiting staff and inmates
The judge ruled that lethal injections can’t proceed unless IDOC officials allow full press access to lethal injection drug preparation and administration
Judge will hear arguments over whether to delay death penalty trial after new evidence cast doubt on original conviction
House Bill 70 would give convicted felons the right to vote after finishing probation, discharge from parole, or expiration of their sentence
A Dooly State Prison inmate has filed a federal lawsuit alleging prison officials have denied him kosher foods used to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday
Lexington Mayor Jim Gray will have to give a limited deposition in a wrongful death lawsuit involving a jail inmate
Says she was suspended from her job after being accused of having relationships with inmates both still in custody and after the inmates were released
Is beefing up its corps of attorneys handling inmate lawsuits and seeking a meeting with federal judges following a string of sanctions and lectures from magistrates upset at lawyerly foot-dragging
Brad Coleman had applied for a disability award claiming post-traumatic stress disorder
For the third time this month, a federal judge issued sanctions today in response to the failure by Allegheny County attorneys to follow court orders in jail-related litigation
Audit of probation, courts, Community Corrections could happen this year
Is fighting against giving his son’s killer the death penalty
A corrections officer who was acquitted of charges of delivering contraband to inmates may have to serve time after all, due to a judge’s tardiness
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the state of Rhode Island and The Department of Corrections
Brad Coleman contends that constant concern about his older brother caused him to acquire PTSD
Records request asked for information regarding the state’s lethal injection protocol
Inmate claims officer fractured his shoulder using excessive force
Georgia Attorney General’s Office says a government agency should not have to pay the lawyers of an injured inmate
A federal jury acquitted a Maryland correctional officer Friday of violating the civil rights of a state prison inmate who was severely beaten by other officers in 2008
Judge granted a prosecution motion to limit what jurors are told about executions if defendant James Holmes is convicted
A trial would interfere with court-guided efforts to improve the jail
Encourages the use of supervised release for inmates
CO’s father: “My son wouldn’t want the death penalty”
Inmate was originally sentenced to death, but then withdrew original guilty plea
Attorney: “This not guilty verdict is a just verdict and a true reflection of the evidence presented in the courtroom”
Has relied on YouTube to publish videos that proclaim his innocence by arguing that victim was manipulated by authorities into giving testimony filled with lies
Miguel Alonso Contreras-Perez is charged with killing Sgt. Mary Ricard and attempting to kill Sgt. Lori Gann with a kitchen butcher knife
The U.S. Supreme Court could be the next step for a group of plaintiffs who say Native American inmates in the Alabama DOC have a religious right to long hair
Current law requires the state to notify victims when offenders convicted of certain violent crimes and sex offenses are released from prison
Would provide safeguards for correctional officers who are assaulted in youth correctional facilities
119-page article, to be published next month, is a review of the state’s post-conviction relief process
Inmates sued CCA in 2010, saying the facility was so violent prisoners called it “Gladiator School”
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