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.
With prison populations rising and correctional officer retention low, Georgia DOC seeks authority to intercept drone contraband
Andy’s Law, named in honor of Officer Andrew Lansing who was killed by an inmate, mandates up to life without parole for murdering a correctional employee and aims to deter inmate violence
A Jessup Correctional Institution correctional sergeant allegedly moved thousands of pills while others trafficked synthetic drugs, phones, luxury goods and tobacco
The state legislature convened the study to discuss the possibility of combining administration of the state’s 25 jails and 11 prisons
The state supreme court has denied two stays and the governor announced he would not grant clemency to Kevin Johnson
Ray J. Garcia is among five workers charged with abusing inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution
Austin Harrouff, 25, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of first-degree murder and other charges for his August 2016 slayings
The decision likely ends 15-year battle between the California Correctional Peace Officers Association and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Sgt. Mark Baserman, 60, died of blunt force trauma less than two weeks after he was assaulted by an inmate
The attacks, which left multiple inmates injured, took place in the kitchen, where there were no surveillance cameras
The justices declared Tennessee a “clear outlier” as the only U.S. state to require that juvenile homicide offenders serve more than 50 years in prison before they can be considered for parole
A judge sentenced Darrell Brooks Jr. on 76 charges, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and 61 counts of reckless endangerment
COs successfully argued that the state DOC failed to pay them for work done once they arrived at their prison for the beginning of their shifts
Richard Glossip’s request for a new evidentiary hearing that his attorneys suggested would prove his innocence was denied
The order did not attempt to address crowding going forward, as the city and state continue to scramble for alternatives
Prosecutors claim ex-Cuyahoga County Jail director Ken Mills mismanaged the facility and created inhumane conditions
Between Sept. 13 and Nov. 2, 2021, 155 officers were caught absent without leave and suspended
Future inspection topics could include the jails’ procedures for preventing suicides among those detained
As of Nov. 1, the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision reported 1,231 assaults on staff
Charles Daniels said he filed whistleblower and hostile work environment complaints before resigning
The judge said inmates were exposed to “mental torture” and deprived of adequate mental healthcare
The governor granted another temporary reprieve to death row inmate Richard Glossip, pushing his scheduled execution back until February 2023
The CO suffered a broken eye socket and other injuries; the CO union continues to argue against a bill to ban solitary confinement in the city’s jails
Arrestee claims it was improper to use a K-9 to assist in a cell extraction because as a patrol dog, it was not trained or certified in forced cell extraction
Wendell M. France Sr., an experienced corrections administrator, has 120 days to draft a reform plan
The filing argues that the federal government’s refusal to surrender John Hanson usurps the state’s authority
Enrique Chavez was the fifth employee at the Dublin prison to be charged with sexual abuse of inmates since June 2021
In September, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff introduced legislation to overhaul federal prison oversight following an investigation into the prison
The decree, which ordered the jail to improve its conditions, stemmed from a 2011 class action lawsuit
Inmates claim ADOC has reduced their food and access to medicine, citing “worsening life-threatening conditions”
“If I punch any one of you in your face and break your orbital, you’re not coming to work the next day. That’s our reality every single day,” a CO official said
Colette Peters wants to change hiring practices to find candidates who want to “change hearts and minds”
Tanya Suarez had sued the county alleging jail staff failed to protect her from harming herself after she was arrested
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