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.
Lawmakers across the U.S. are advancing more than 100 bills to expand or limit capital punishment, even as executions reach their highest total since 2012
One corrections officer was permanently blinded after being stabbed with a piece of steel in 2020 at USP Allenwood
Cortlen Flax was convicted of official misconduct and simple assault after striking an inmate who later filed a civil rights lawsuit
The appellate court addresses the degree of deference corrections facilities have when it comes to prison regulation
“If an inmate would require medical attention en route to an emergency room at a hospital, the EMS ambulance crew is better prepared than my deputies” Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert said
“These are pretty extraordinary cases that include sexual assault, rapes, murder,” said District Attorney John Wentworth
Jamal Sutherland died in January after deputies repeatedly used stun guns and kneeled on his back to restrain him
Attorneys argue the low-IQ inmate should have been given help understanding the prison paperwork that laid the groundwork for the planned lethal injection
The case comes after the Massachusetts State Police unsuccessfully sued Gov. Charlie Baker
The inmate, who is accused of assaulting police officers, has yet to receive treatment for a broken wrist sustained in May
The judge agreed with the state, however, that the DOJ’s allegations of unsafe and unsanitary conditions were overly broad
NJDOC’s Special Investigation Division installed a hidden camera that captured the abuse
The former warden of the jail had previously asked a judge to sentence him to life in prison
The officer received a religious exemption but now feels his future with the department is in jeopardy
The ACLU and state public defender agency had argued that sheriffs had failed to implement adequate inmate testing, among other precautions
The move settles a 2017 lawsuit challenging the use of solitary confinement for death row inmates in the state
Rep. Steve Clouse said the plan would be a first step in correcting violence and abuse that has brought a federal lawsuit against the state
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will be releasing “hundreds and hundreds of people the right way”
There have been 26 deaths, including 18 homicides, in the state’s prisons so far this year
The governor’s order will result “in certain political and religious classes being purged from civil service,” the suit contends
If a CO feels that restraints are necessary, a written explanation must be submitted within 5 days of incident
He said it was “clear” the inmate would suffer irreparable harm if denied the treatment while incarcerated
Gov. Ivey urged legislators to support the plan, saying the state is at risk of federal intervention
Shelley Gray says she was retaliated against after raising concerns about the legality of a warden’s order
A 5-member oversight committee will be up and running by Sept. 16
The federal agency also called on the jail to make changes to address these constitutional violations
Don’t be misled into thinking the First Amendment protects you from becoming a social media career casualty
Roughly 55,000 more people would now be allowed to vote, based on estimates
Aaron Bell says he was given a directive to pass all CO cadets, regardless of performance
The ruling overturns a lower court that found prisoners could have the drug as long as they didn’t consume it
The financial liabilities come despite the county spending upwards of $450 million on reforms
The word “inmate” will now be replaced with “incarcerated individual”
Advocates hope the new pilot program will ultimately lead to more prison closures
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