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.
Two now-deceased staff members are accused of grooming and sexually assaulting youth in custody at Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center
Melvin Bishop admitted to chasing and tearing at a woman’s clothing during a medical exam at Atlantic County Jail
The inmate, serving life for murder, claimed the restrictions hurt his parenting ability, but the court cited safety and policy compliance
The legislation repealing the death penalty now heads to Gov. Ralph Northam, who has said he will sign it into law
Officers won’t book anyone unless they’re charged with an offense in a list of certain felonies and misdemeanors that are crimes committed against other people
Bills will be introduced “in the near future” that would replace all capital sentences with a sentence of life in prison without parole
“There is a strong culture of silence in the prison system,” an attorney representing two women said
The report calls on the department to use isolation “only if absolutely necessary” to protect the safety of prisoners and staff
Since Cuomo took office in 2011, he has closed 18 state prisons; decreasing inmate population is one factor in the closures
It’s indefinite now, but under the new legislation the maximum would be 15 days
A committee said the state should allow all but death row inmates and those serving life-without-parole to request lighter sentences after serving 15 years
The COs say they were segregated and prevented from doing their jobs solely because of the color of their skin
The organizations sent a letter to Biden, urging that he act immediately “on your promise of ensuring equality, equity and justice in our criminal legal system”
Critics want Biden to bulldoze the federal death chamber in Indiana and strike the death penalty from U.S. statutes entirely
It’s a dramatic shift for Virginia, which has put more people to death over its centuries-long history than any other state
The Democrat-controlled chamber approved the bill in a 21-17 vote that split along party lines and was seen as a key hurdle for the measure
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
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