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.
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
Two Wallens Ridge State Prison officers were stabbed multiple times and a third was assaulted in the incident
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
The DOC would be required to pick up inmates awaiting transport within three business days of sentencing
Charlie Bracey saved an inmate’s life and a year later was disciplined for allegedly failing to respond to the attack
“It only makes sense to allow them to make some money to take care of themselves on the back end, because we’re paying for them on the front end.”
After an officer removes the suspect’s hand and leg cuffs in line with legal requirements for the court session, the defendant runs out of the courtroom door
Only two other states – Maine and Vermont – and Washington, D.C., allow convicted people to vote while still incarcerated
Attorney for nurses said allegations “have spawned numerous social media and other very adversarial threats”
State asks for audio tapes back from the Library of Virginia after a NPR story on the existence of execution recordings
State District Judge Jim Fallon withdrew the date after lawyers requested more time to review competency
Bryant Holmes won compensatory damages for his claim of a hostile work environment at the Kansas City Reentry Center
Idaho would become the fifth state to approve a firing squad as a backup to the lethal injection drug shortage
Official: “Detention is ineffective. It’s expensive. And it produces even worse conduct. But that’s the first instinct: ‘Lock ‘em up!’”
Prosecutors described Hossein Nayeri as a “psychopath” and a “truly diabolical criminal”
Paula Henry alleges in her suit that her fellow COs mocked and harassed her since she joined the department in 2016
The man claims officers allowed him to be assaulted by other inmates while being held in the Woodbury County Jail
The final version didn’t place any restrictions on how long a prisoner can remain in solitary
Capt. Rebecca Hillman has pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent homicide and offering a false instrument for lying on an incident report
Another bill is calling for a $500K audit of eight juvenile detention centers
Maurice Hastings was released from prison last year after long-untested DNA evidence pointed to a different suspect
Court declares surgeon to be a “state actor” subject to federal civil rights law and rejects qualified immunity for her and two prison officials
Currently, DACA recipients can become troopers, game wardens, COs and serve in the Wisconsin National Guard
Sheriff Robert Luna said he felt “just sadness” after hearing reports of the mistreatment and poor conditions inside the jails
Last year, people in the Department of Corrections and their families paid $7.7 million to talk on the phone
Jurors in the inmate’s case were wrongly told that the only way to ensure he would never walk free was to sentence him to death
States would be encouraged to submit proposals for how to use money to combat addiction and other medical services for people at state jails and prisons
the Senate approved the “Restore the Vote” bill less than a week after the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the state’s current restrictions
Jail video shows Anthony Mitchell was kept naked in a concrete-floored isolation cell, according to the lawsuit
The 24-page document claims that the “draconian confinement” is harming the inmate’s unborn child
Andre Thomas’ attorneys say he will never be competent for his April 5 execution.
MOST POPULAR
- Federal lawsuits mount against Calif. sheriff’s office over surge in jail deaths
- Ind. county pays $7.25M settlement over pretrial detainee’s death
- Man sentenced to death for killing Ala. police officer
- Former Ky. correctional sergeant convicted in inmate assault
- Lawsuit: Rastafarian inmate shaved at La. prison challenges ruling