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.
Richard Jordan abducted and fatally shot Edwina Marter before demanding $25,000 from her husband, leading to nearly 50 years of court appeals and legal challenges
Supreme Court
The ruling allows Ruben Gutierrez to seek DNA testing he says could prove he was not responsible for the 1998 stabbing death
The court ruled that the Bibb County Jail deputy exercised her judgment in handling surveillance duties, protecting the deputy from legal liability in the inmate’s 2020 suicide
Jamie Berg filed a lawsuit after she was fired in January 2018, claiming she faced discrimination for being a single mother
The prison must rank inmates by their health risks and identify candidates for early release
Under the ruling, the state must come up with a plan to vacate at least 100 beds in each prison across California in the next month
For years, inmates have advocated lowering rates that run as high as $25 for a 15-minute call
Lawyers said prison officials haven’t provided inmates hand sanitizer, sufficient testing, contact tracing or social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled “the steps the Oakland County Jail had taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were reasonable”
The incident drew attention to poor conditions at the Jackson County Detention Center, sparking conversations about building a new facility
Officials said Virgil Carter was under orders to always lock his office door and keep his radio with him at all times
The priest claims BOP is putting him at risk for contracting the coronavirus by moving forward with executions
The Manhattan jurist has allowed inmates to proceed with a lawsuit in their quest to improve conditions at the facility
Jordan Brown, who was 11 at the time, was charged in the shooting death of a 26-year-old pregnant mother of two
Judges rejected an appeal filed by prosecutors seeking to revoke the pre-trial release of Zachary Latham, who was charged in the stabbing death of William Durham Sr.
Under the terms of the settlement, the county will transition its three juvenile facilities from a corrections model to a treatment model
House Bill 81 provides workers’ comp coverage of post-exposure medical diagnosis services for a CO’s exposure to an inmate’s blood or bodily fluids
The lawsuit is one of several long-running cases by inmate advocates complaining of substandard healthcare and mistreatment of vulnerable populations
Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr took no position on Toforest Johnson’s innocence or guilt but said there are concerns about his trial
Lawyers have collected 100 declarations from inmates and hope to convince the state to make the department adopt a slew of new reforms
Your written report can turn what was a volatile and unpredictable incident into an example of a sensible and rational response
“Corrections officers are hard-working people who deserve the same treatment as other law enforcement officers,” State Rep. Jack O’Malley said
The Department of Justice said a severe staffing shortage helped create what the DOJ alleged last year were unconstitutional conditions in Alabama’s men’s prisons
Federal Prison Camp inmates want officials to begin processing inmates to home confinement, compassionate release or to another prison to prevent COVID-19
Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration was ordered to stop keeping inmates and their attorneys in the dark over which inmates can be released
The rulings also stand to revive potentially cases of more than 100 inmates who claim racial bias was the reason or a significant factor for their death sentence
Senator Bob Steinburg discusses prison reform
The inmates were scheduled for transfer as part of an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton
US District Judge Solomon Oliver rebutted an opinion from a doctor who said prison conditions could lead to an outbreak
A judge said the state can condition voting on fines and restitution a person is able to pay, but can’t condition voting on payment of amounts a person is unable to pay
Reporting and dissecting close calls will improve safety while decreasing liability
Archie Williams’ emotional and now viral audition included the story of his exoneration
The court is thrust into the fray as state and federal prisons nationwide have become hot spots for infections and illness
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