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.
Raul Gomez-Garcia, convicted of killing Detective Donald Young in 2005, was denied entry to a youth-focused prison program because he did not meet eligibility requirements
The SCI-Somerset attack on Sgt. Mark Baserman, captured on video, showed a calculated assault that prosecutors called “cold-hearted” and fit for capital punishment
Lawmakers and law enforcement officials say the plan to release some prisoners up to 110 days early is a dangerous response to staffing shortages and failed prison reforms
Jailers praise the fingerprint checks, because it prevents criminals from using aliases; Critics however say it is used to deport thousands who are non-violent
State commissioners voted to retain the practice, which currently restricts the death penalty to certain cases like murder of a police officer and murder for hire
A decision is expected next summer on whether the state of California can move thousands of inmates out of its overcrowded prisons
Nineteen states have joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration in urging the justices to reject the order as overreaching
Exporters are required to prove drugs will be used for legitimate medical reasons, not execution
Texas declines to make its supply available even though all of its 39 available doses will expire in March and only three executions are scheduled before then
In an essay in the New York Review of Books, Stevens explains the reasons for his late-career change of heart about the death penalty
Ruling paves the way for delays in Tenn. inmate’s Tuesday execution and one in December of another inmate
Limited bed space at local facility forces D.C. to move youths across U.S.
Rules were created after an inmate executed on May 13 recited prayers for 17 minutes
Tthe attorney general said collection of DNA samples from people who are arrested must be a priority of the Justice Department
Suspects’ fingerprints will be compared with Homeland Security data
48 inmates were being held in segregation for ignoring the state’s grooming policy
A recent Internal Revenue Service decision means the federal government will no longer collect income tax on compensation money
New district attorney says nonviolent criminals are potential candidates for community service and other punishments besides jail time
Simpson attorney Yale Galanter asserts in a request for rehearing filed Tuesday that the justices overlooked or misunderstood several key arguments
If today’s experiment works, officials will call for one lockdown a month through the end of the fiscal year on June 30
The embrace of pot as a legitimate revenue stream signals the continued mainstreaming of marijuana
The court voted Monday to affirm lower court rulings involving defendants who had five years tacked onto their drug trafficking prison terms because they had a gun with them
Lawyers and victim advocates say it’s not often that convicted criminals sue victims and their families
State officials plan to cut $1.1 billion from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation this fiscal year, according to a budget report
ICE has had a presence at New York’s main jail complex for at least 15 years.
It was the first of two key hearings for Elias Abuelazam, an Israeli citizen who is accused three-state stabbing spree
Judge rules a man’s actions were justified by threats
Inmate rejects previous agreement which would give her state-issued women’s underwear; instead wants state funded sex change
The union is challenging a law that denies voting rights to convicted felons who owe money associated with their convictions or for child support
She was ripped off occasionally, once by a former inmate who could not kick a drug habit, but continued to support inmates
The 4-1 ruling came over the vociferous dissent of one justice and opposition from national juvenile law groups
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