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.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s habeas petition argues that suppressed evidence and false testimony led to a wrongful conviction in her 2021 sex trafficking trial
A grand jury returned charges against current and former Alameda County deputies over the death of Maurice Monk, who was found unresponsive in his cell after days without aid
Justices will weigh claims of racial bias in Terry Pitchford’s trial, similar to those that led to a 2019 Supreme Court reversal in another case involving the same prosecutor
The Florida DOC plans to allocate $1 million to a new program that will make a small number of phone calls free for some inmates
The woman, who helped transport prisoners, accused the state of dismissing reports of discriminatory behavior and ultimately forcing her to seek another job
Anthony Sanchez is scheduled to be executed in September for the 1996 killing of a University of Oklahoma dance student
Most prisoners get their college tuition paid for by the federal Pell Grant program, which gives 30,000 more students behind bars some $130M in financial aid
Two inmates sued the Corrections Department, seeking recognition of Christian Identity, under a federal law that protects the religious freedom of people confined to prison
The settlement includes provisions to help lower the jail population at the Inmate Reception Center by diverting hundreds of people into mental health treatment
Currently, Mississippi has the highest imprisonment rate; The report states this is a key reason the state also has the nation’s lowest labor force participation rate
The group would analyze data on the state’s prison populations, recidivism rates, sentence proportionality and sentencing disparities
The county could be forced to pay $1.6 billion to $3 billion for “more than 3,000 claims alleging childhood sexual assault at various County and non-County facilities”
While everyone is acutely aware of the risks necessitating court security and the liability implications of security failures, actual progress toward security remains highly variable
Under the county jail’s voluntary work program, workers were paid $20 for 10 to 12 hours a day of manual labor at the single-stream recycling plant
The 51 clemency applications came after a bill to abolish the death penalty failed during Louisiana’s legislative session
The bills also make it possible for anyone sentenced for a serious crime as a child to be given the option of parole after 10 years
New standards include the use of soft restraints, rather than metal cuffs; the routine involvement of health professionals; and regular checks on restrained inmates
The former CO said the DOC failed to address a hostile work environment after she accused another CO of sexually assaulting, stalking and harassing her
The “clean slate” bill would automatically seal most recent convictions — 3 years after serving time or parole for a misdemeanor, and 8 years for felony convictions
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
MOST POPULAR
- Okla. inmates sue for damages after being forced to listen to ‘Baby Shark’ kids’ song on loop
- Ohio county jail to make policy changes as part of settlement with former inmates
- N.Y. sex offender sues over mustard, ketchup packet nutrition labeling
- Ind. county pays $7.25M settlement over pretrial detainee’s death
- Man sentenced to death for killing Ala. police officer