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 correctional officer was injured while attempting to photograph the inmate for documentation
Skylar Meade was originally facing the death penalty but avoided it by admitting guilt and agreeing to a no-parole sentence
The corrections officer was fired after telling leadership that releasing inmates with staffing below the minimum required by policy created safety risks and violated DOC procedures
They called Combs “unrepentant” and said he “now argues that his victims should shoulder the blame”
The inmate had more than 20 disciplinary infractions, including assaults and weapon possession, while housed at MDC Brooklyn, court records show
A Monroe prison fatality review cited delays, paper records and miscommunication as factors that played a role in Michael Sublett’s death
Defense attorneys at both trials argued there was no DNA, no forensic evidence, no surveillance video and no diaries to prove what the government was alleging
Recommendations include expanding segregation eligibility and improving incentive programs to enhance facility safety
The audit found staffing, classification and alarm systems were compliant on the day inmate Rashawn Cannon killed Officer Andrew Lansing
The settlement resolves claims that more than 1,500 pregnant CDCR staff were forced to choose between unsafe duties, demotion or unpaid leave
Lena Summerlin, whose legal name was David Cassady at the time, was sentenced to 80 years for mailing bombs from prison to the DOJ and an Alaska courthouse in 2020
Two corrections officers were promised 22 years in prison in exchange for the guilty plea, while two others face 3 to 9 years for their roles in the fatal assault at Marcy Correctional Facility
The recommendations would expand solitary confinement for harassment, assaults and repeat low-level misconduct
The New Orleans man was convicted as a habitual offender after a jury found him guilty of battery on a correctional officer
Alexander Daravina is accused of orchestrating a scheme to file false unemployment claims for fellow inmates while incarcerated at SCI Phoenix
The officer was hit in the eyes and mouth and required medical treatment and disease monitoring, S.C. DOC officials said
Probation officials transferred 39 detainees to Barry J. Nidorf without required reinspection or clearance from regulators
The former congressman called the unit “hell on earth” and says the FBI is looking into an alleged plot to kill him
Steven Bixby, convicted of killing two Abbeville County officers, argues his anti-government beliefs make him unfit for execution under state law
Christian Walker died in custody after two confrontations with corrections officers at High Desert State Prison
The bill aims to compensate incarcerated crews more fairly and improve rehabilitation opportunities
The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board will now be able to investigate the actions of jail medical staff and contractors involved in custody death cases
A Somerset County jury convicted Paul J. Kendrick of first-degree murder and sentenced him to death for killing Sgt. Mark Baserman in 2018
The scanning policy, backed by AFSCME, follows reports of fentanyl and synthetic drugs entering prisons through letters and legal mail
LASD says hundreds of millions have gone into staffing, medical care and infrastructure, while the attorney general alleges preventable deaths and neglect
An autopsy cited complications from mechanical asphyxia, with cardiovascular disease as a contributing factor in the Wyandotte County Detention Center death
The proposal would remove a federal restriction that has long blocked prisons from using signal-jamming technology
The proposed ordinance would allow the review board to investigate care providers involved in in-custody deaths in San Diego County
The legislation is part of a broader effort to address chemical exposures in correctional facilities
The Department of Homeland Security called the ruling “a win for the American people, the rule of law and common sense”
How new federal tax rules could affect your paycheck, deductions and long-term savings
Prison officials say the goal is to minimize correctional staff involvement as the state prepares to make firing squad its primary method by 2026
Ralph Leroy Menzies, convicted of a 1986 murder, was days away from execution when the court intervened
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