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.
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
While the puppies are at the jail, they will be cared for by incarcerated women ages 18-25 housed in the drug treatment program
Investigators believe Heather Leavell-Keaton and her boyfriend physically abused the children for years, locked them in closets and gave them little food
Last year, 18 inmates died while in the custody of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, double the average number of jail deaths
The corrections commissioner said the prison system has also added medical professionals, ordered new equipment and conducted additional rehearsals
Maryland’s highest court issued an order that prevents the reinstatement of Syed’s murder conviction by a lower court
It’s crucial that correctional staff can pinpoint potential triggers for suicidal behavior either during or following court proceedings
Anthony Mitchell died of hypothermia after spending two weeks in a jail during a mental health break
Bryan Kohberger’s trial has been set for early October. The prosecutor now has 60 days to inform the court whether he will seek the death penalty in the case
The decline in work crew sentences is attributed to the success of criminal justice reforms, department officials said
“I’m one of the first to say we need to hold people accountable to their crimes, but we need to offer programs so that we don’t see them in correctional facilities again,” the sheriff said
In addition to the payment to the 12 women, the sheriff’s office will be required to implement a series of specific changes at the jail to reduce sexual harassment
Smith was set to die in 2022, but survived after workers couldn’t start an intravenous line for the lethal injection drugs before the state’s execution warrant expired
To be eligible, inmates must have been sentenced to life without parole under Alabama’s Habitual Felony Offender law
A U.S. federal judge ruled that the public has a right to see what goes on inside the St. Thomas jail
The new law no longer requires unanimous jury recommendations for judges to impose death-penalty sentences
Victor Rosario was convicted of arson and multiple counts of murder in connection with a fire that killed 3 adults and 5 children
In an unusual move for a prosecutor, the Attorney General filed his motion agreeing with defense attorneys that Richard Glossip deserves a stay
A commuted sentence means they’ll spend less time in home confinement and won’t have to pay the rest of their fines which range from $5,000 to $20,000
Gov. Ron DeSantis also signed a bill to end a unanimous jury requirement in death penalty sentencing
Floyd Bledsoe was released from prison in 2015 after DNA evidence showed he could not have been the killer of a 14-year-old girl
Chandler Craig’s federal complaint claims she lost her job based on a “fabricated incident report” ordered by the sheriff
Richard Glossip is scheduled to die by lethal injection on May 18
The payout over Holly Barlow-Austin’s death after being held at a jail operated by LaSalle Corrections is among the largest public settlements of its kind
Making prisons more “normal and humane” will also create better work environments for correctional officers, the Bureau of Prisons director said
The deal marks one of the most expensive wrongful death settlements in recent history for the state prison system
After an assault, Maryland corrections officials placed Chelsea Gilliam in solitary confinement for months, according to the lawsuit
In the program, inmates can take online classes on information technology, problem-solving, personal development, job skills and other areas
Advocates said it would give inmates facing long sentences more incentive to change their behavior
ADOC “is in the process of transitioning all litigation matters from the department’s attorneys to attorneys in the AGO”
The four have their sentencing postponed as there are additional “targets” that will face charges for participating in or covering up the assault
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