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.
The drone crashed during a 2021 contraband delivery to the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center, where Jason Totty was linked by fingerprints
Joe L. Binder was convicted of baton assault during an altercation that injured multiple inmates and two COs, prompting ADOC to require supervisors to wear body cameras
In one case, a judge blocked the DOJ’s attempt to seek the death penalty for a 2022 police officer killing, citing due process violations
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law that will require anyone convicted of any of 18 violent offenses to serve 100% of their sentences
The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act seeks to allow state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems
The union says prison violence rose by 33% in the year since HALT took effect
The suit argues that Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s process for restoring the voting rights of people with felony convictions should be declared unconstitutional
An arbitrator ruled that Anthony Marlak’s termination was an excessive response by the state Department of Correction
The suit accuses officials of holding people in extended segregation even though they don’t meet the law’s criteria
Lawyers for CO William Durham’s family argued Zachary Latham lured the victim into the fatal fight in a bid for “TikTok fame”
Over 50% of Cook County jail’s registered voters cast ballots, which is more than registered voters citywide
They must explain why the court shouldn’t issue an order against them on the grounds they are violating the constitutional rights of victims
Four bills would help with access, apprenticeships, licensing and oversight
Questions arise about why meeting about squalid conditions for youth inmates was not public
Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants the law to require the Virginia Parole Board to notify local prosecutors before an inmate is paroled
Smart’s trial was one of the first high-profile cases about a sexual affair between a school staff member and a student
Teamsters Local 839 wants access to the jail to meet with their employees to investigate complaints
Advocates say problems exists because of mistakes over eligibility and difficulties that detainees and prisoners face in registering or voting
Anthony Mitchell died of hypothermia after spending two weeks in a jail during a mental health break
A judge gave the CO a sentence nearly one-quarter the length of the 20 years handed to two other COs involved in the incident
Inmates said they were “mocked and ignored” when they told their supervisors of what would later be determined as second-degree burns and blisters
The bill is named after Bibb County Deputy Brad Johnson, who was shot to death last year while pursuing a convicted felon in a stolen car
Todd Sheffler said he accepted responsibility “for what I did or didn’t do” that caused the inmate’s death
House Bill 186 passed the Senate by a 24-11 vote; it overwhelmingly passed the House earlier this month
A lawsuit accuses the county and the sheriff’s department of failing to provide adequate medical and mental healthcare in the jail
The juvenile justice bills ended up with bipartisan support, praised by outside observers
The lawsuit contends detainees at the Washington County Jail were given ivermectin as early as November 2020 but were unaware until July 2021
A resolution passed allows the state to spend up to $975 million on the 4,000-bed prison
Hossein Nayeri was found guilty of the escape but acquitted of kidnapping a taxi driver while on the run
A judge said Alex Banta was “caught up in the culture” of silence surrounding violence against inmates
The state’s governor said he would consider signing the newly proposed bill into law if passed by legislature
Rebecca Hillman faces up to four years in prison after a jury convicted her of denying help to an inmate who hanged himself in a cell
The use of restraint chairs and lawful authority were at the center of deliberations that deadlocked the jury more than once
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