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.
Auditors say nine staff remained on paid leave up to 3.5 years beyond limits set by state regulations and contracts
Federal charges allege Walker County Jail officers deprived Tony Mitchell and others of basic rights and used an inmate enforcer to assault detainees
Albert Booze pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter after using Deputy Christopher Knight’s TASER and a knife in a 2021 fatal confrontation at Bibb County Jail
Leesa L. Wiseman’s attorney said the verdict recognized the years of discrimination, mistreatment and retaliation that his client endured
Kowalewski is facing up to 10 more years in prison after pleading guilty to mailing a threatening communication to a U.S. district court judge
Eden Hendrick is leading the troubled agency after two of her predecessors resigned following state audits that found major faults, from a “useless and ineffective” in-house police force to an inability to keep children safe
Problems included rodents, sewage backups, mold, ubiquitous contraband and a troubling suicide rate among inmates at the prison, also known as U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta
Jeremy Michael Brown is being held on felony federal weapons charges stemming from his arrest for misdemeanor trespassing and disruptive conduct in connection to the attack on the U.S. Capitol
The effort by attorneys for accused Aryan Brotherhood member Brant “Two Scoops” Daniel comes as two guards at the prison have pleaded guilty to a cover-up at the facility
The change proceeds from litigation challenging a 1973 law that prevents someone convicted of a felony from having voting rights restored while they are still on probation, parole or post-release supervision
Prosecutors said the officers can be seen on surveillance video walking past Feliciano and taking no action for seven minutes and 51 seconds
The women claim that a jail officer gave two male detainees keys to the interior of the jail in exchange for $1,000
Lawsuit alleges women detained at the Beaufort County Detention Center were “routinely subjected to humiliating strip and body cavity searches” while similar searches were not performed on men
James, 49, is set to be die by lethal injection on July 28 at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore
When the heat picks up in Florida, advocates and family members say temperatures can exceed 100°F inside, putting prisoners with medical issues like asthma at risk
Another guard from the facility known as New Folsom already has pleaded guilty in connection with the inmate’s death and an attempt to cover it up by filing phony reports
“I wanted to uplift them and give them some classical inspiration with a little bit of the free world,” said the director of the women’s prison seminary.
Prison reform advocate disguised himself as a construction worker to hide guns, handcuff keys and hacksaw blades inside the walls of a Nashville jail under construction
Lawsuit contends conditions in the jail demonstrate a willful, wanton disregard for the safety of officers, inmates and the public
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffery Frensley issued the order last week in response to an argument from Tennessee-based CoreCivic that the public posts put the company’s right to a fair trial at risk
Problems cited include security gaps and inadequate or incompetent staffing that provided openings for contraband and raucous behavior among inmates
Tonya Chapman filed a $7 million lawsuit against WTVR-TV and reporter Jon Burkett in March 2021, alleging defamatory statements in stories published about an investigation of the parole board by the state’s government watchdog agency
Marco Paredes-Machado claims he was classified as a member of the ISIS terrorist group to justify moving him to the maximum-security prison
An official said changing the way people address substance use disorder can be a long-term solution for jail overcrowding
Critics claim earmarking stimulus money for new prisons is an “improper expenditure” for the funds
Though Casey White has been charged with Vicky White’s death, the indictment does not say he killed her
State appeals court decision asks criminal court to determine if an expert’s testimony on recidivism was false and inaccurate
Officials and experts discuss safety risk and placement decision for former police officer Derek Chauvin as he begins serving 21 years on federal civil rights charges
The ruling said inmates aren’t getting timely access to emergency treatment, medications, treatment for chronic diseases and specialty care
The city must build a $60 million expansion for inmates with mental and medical health problems
The law, effective July 1, provides judges the flexibility to send all Level 6 felons to the Department of Correction
The judge, who said she wanted the sentence to send an “unmistakable message,” noted that Maxwell never expressed remorse
The court highlights the differences in a policy violation vs. a constitutional violation in a case involving a jail suicide