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 pilot program requires eight hours plus four hours of forced overtime — a move the union calls heartless and unlawful
Brian Tellier was found not guilty of felonious assault and tampering charges stemming from a 2023 incident at Lorain County jail that left an inmate paralyzed
Michigan DOC staff will photocopy all original mail, including legal and confidential documents, then shred the originals in front of the recipient
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.
The book was flagged for containing content viewed as “dangerously inflammatory in that it advocates or encourages” unrest
Legislation looks to remove language about ‘involuntary servitude’ as a form of criminal punishment from state constitutions
The bill would require youths charged with a serious offense to be evaluated for eligibility in cognitive behavioral therapy or substance abuse treatment
Majority of justices found no evidence that the drafters of the Constitution intended to restore voting rights upon a felon’s release from prison
The bill’s language set off a slew of criticism from prisoner’s rights groups and advocates for organ donations
The legislation would create oversight of the board without taking away its independent decision making process
In November, the city settled a class-action lawsuit over delayed releases dating back to 2014
The suit alleges the inmate contracted COVID-19 because of poor practices or indifference at the jail
The attorney is calling for an investigation, accusing officials of moving ahead with the lethal injection while federal appeals were still outstanding
The ex-prison worker was the fifth employee at the facility to be charged with sexual abuse of inmates since June 2021
California would join Maine and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, as the only states where felons never lose their right to vote
The bill would allow inmates to receive a reduction between 60 days and a year on the condition that they have donated bone marrow or organs
Court rules that seven months of solitary confinement for an inmate with known mental health issues violated the Eighth Amendment and clearly established law
Kenneth Eugene Smith was scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection last year for a 1988 murder-for-hire slaying
If the bill passes as is, Florida would have “the most extreme death penalty statute in the country”
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