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 proposal, aligned with President Trump’s executive order, would ease certification requirements and make approvals permanent for qualifying states
Backed by corrections leaders, the bill seeks to reduce costs and improve end-of-life conditions
A year after a wave of prison staffing shortages forced New York to rely on the National Guard, lawmakers say changes to the state’s solitary confinement law could help stabilize facilities and improve safety
David A. Johnson III, 20, was jailed in the death of his year-old son who authorities said had ingested fentanyl while in Johnson’s care
White will be tried in 2023 for the deaths of Vicky White, the jail administrator he escaped with, and Connie Ridgeway
Michael Ketchum, 45, hogtied, strangled and stabbed to death his cellmate and stabbed another inmate in the head and neck during breakfast
California judge rejects Peterson’s request nearly 20 years after he was charged with dumping the bodies of his pregnant wife and unborn child on Christmas Eve 2002
Religion
The former inmate claims his religious freedoms were violated when his knee-length locks were cut and is appealing for monetary damages
Christopher Williams, 62, spent 25 years on Pennsylvania death row, before being exonerated of four murders and freed
Inmate Henry Hodges has accused the state of cruel and unusual punishment and inadequate medical and mental health care
CO Kent Riley sustained severe and permanent brain injury and may not be able to work again
The bi-partisan legislation, now on its way to President Biden to sign, forces BOP to fix and replace surveillance cameras
The in-custody inmate was at the courthouse for official business when the incident occurred
Randy Halprin was part of a gang of prisoners who fatally shot a police officer in 2000 after they escaped from prison
The high-ranking official, who has admitted to beating Black inmates in the 1990s, has “openly shared some of his past and has shared ... that he’s a changed man”
With less than a month left in office, Gov. Kate Brown used executive clemency powers to change the death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole
The “extraordinary expense” is meant to bring the site into compliance with a court order regarding inmate care
Scott Eizember is scheduled for lethal injection for the 2003 shotgun killings of an elderly couple
The CO was terminated in 2020 after complaining about harassment, humiliation and sexual misconduct toward women staff
Ray J. Garcia took the stand in his own defense to explain how he happened to take the photo that allegedly shows a reflection of his face
Lawsuit contends the former warden was “grossly negligent” for not providing a safe work environment, sufficient staffing, or adequate safety protocols
At the time of her arrest Sarah Torsiello had worked 18 years for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
This is the fourth time in 36 years that the death warrant for double murderer Gerald Pizzuto will expire
Alabama agreed to never again use lethal injection as an execution method to put Alan Eugene Miller to death
537 officers will receive between $9.56 for a single missed lunch up to $1,223 for 128 missed lunches
After getting 155,730 applications from eligible essential workers, including LEOs, FFs, EMS providers and COs, lawmakers realized they would have to put more money in or slash benefits
A Buffalo News lawsuit seeks to force release of video showing an officer kicking an inmate’s head
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
