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 Wake County sheriff fired three officers and promised to put body cameras on corrections staff rollout following the man’s suicide in jail custody
A state judge ruled that the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision must stop exceeding cell confinement limits imposed by the HALT Act
The court said expanding Bivens would undermine prison operations and duplicate established inmate complaint processes
The suit claims Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t have the power to halt the executions of 700-plus inmates on death row
“The court’s decision is clear, and the state has decided not to appeal,” a spokesman for the governor’s office said
A couple of lessons stand out in this case
The preliminary injunction orders all Oregon Department of Corrections inmates be offered a vaccine as part of Phase 1A, Group 2
The lawsuit describes a “horrific and widespread” rodent infestation, including contact between food and rodent feces
The case now returns to the lower court, where the judge had not yet ruled on an appeal of damages
“This is a first step to stop corporations from profiting off of incarceration,” Biden said
The lawsuit was brought by an inmate who objects to a policy that bars a chaplain from accompanying him into the death chamber
Civil rights groups claim Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has “refused to take known and reasonably available measures” to reduce the spread of COVID-19
The Harris County Jail could run out of room to house inmates this weekend
A judge said the federal government’s poor management of the previous 10 executions “has created a substantial risk”
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev said his treatment at the supermax Federal Correctional Complex Florence is contributing to his “mental and physical decline”
The suit accuses the sheriff of doing too little to address repeated concerns about jail conditions and the mistreatment of inmates
By now, the state was supposed to have avoided $29 million in new spending on prison and supervision costs
The order applies specifically to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center
Virginia has executed nearly 1,400 people in more than four centuries, more than any other state
The judge said the Justice Department unlawfully rescheduled the execution
Thirteen inmates have died in Cuyahoga County jails since June 2018
A judge found that state leaders can face liability claims if they didn’t carry out proper safety measures
The suit alleged a culture of noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and a pattern of discrimination impacting inmates with disabilities
The department has blamed inadequate staffing for many of the problems and said it has made “real strides” to recruit more employees
The lawsuit comes after the Justice Department twice released investigative reports that accused the state of violating prisoner’s rights
Voter rights advocates submitted the 46-page class action complaint, arguing the state’s current process is “unequal, inaccessible, opaque and error-ridden”
The CO said he wore the shirt in response to several other officers wearing “Police Lives Matter” shirts for weeks
Eric Ivey criticized the sheriff’s ability to conduct meaningful investigations into wrongdoing at the Cuyahoga County Jail
The Justice Department and lawyers for several of the women agreed that immigration authorities wouldn’t carry out any deportations until mid-January
Ashley Diamond said officials have failed to protect her from repeated sexual assaults behind bars and failed to provide her with adequate medical treatment
The suit claimed physical and verbal abuse by inmates created a hostile work environment for female jail workers
Bernard Waddell Sr. was not given any personal protective equipment from March until his last day of work
Attorneys argued the procedure denies inmates “meaningful human contact for years on end” and subjects them to cruel and unusual punishment
MOST POPULAR
- Fifth Circuit: No qualified immunity for deputies who allegedly used excessive force against pre-trial detainee who died in cell
- Federal judge in Alabama dismisses Joe Nathan James Jr.’s request for stay of execution
- Female inmates raped when male detainees allegedly bribed CO, lawsuit says
- Senate panel told of ‘outrageous’ violations at Atlanta Federal Penitentiary
- Inmate mails judge letter saying the women closest to him will “disappear”, feds say