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.
Ruling cites ongoing constitutional violations and says inmates face immediate risk from systemic healthcare failures
A prosecutor ruled the Boise officer acted on a “reasonable mistake of fact” after 911 callers misidentified an armed IDOC officer during the inmate escape
A Jefferson Parish jail officer pleaded guilty to falsifying nearly 2,000 hours of time records
Supervisors will now “visually account” for each prisoner at 15-minute intervals and keep crews closer together
Accounts from staff, inmates detailing major deficiencies in safety protocols were deemed credible
A swastika was left at a table where the former mental health worker was known to eat in the jail’s break room
A flaw in the new good-conduct credit program caused some inmates’ sentences to be lengthened rather than cut short
She said that the move would be too ‘disruptive,’ but acknowledged the likelihood of an eventual reversal
After assaulting officers, four inmates tried to argue that their administrative punishments could not be combined with criminal prosecution
Deshunta Miller cites chronic staffing shortages and broken cell doors that left her vulnerable to attack
Some are calling it the first significant sentence reform in Colorado in almost 40 years
The bill “puts the safety of incarcerated persons and correction employees at substantial risk,” said Gov. Lamont
The court ruled that the prosecutor who brought the case was bound by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge Cosby
The 2018 riot raged for more than seven hours at Lee Correctional Institution, leaving 7 inmates dead and more than a dozen injured
The move makes New Jersey one of just a handful of states with detailed policies on housing and providing medical care to trans prisoners
The case raised the question of whether the officers could be sued and held liable for using force
Daniele Tavenner is accusing her former supervisor of attempting to coerce her into a sexual relationship
The suit alleges that staff were put at risk when inmates without mental health conditions were illegally transferred to the prison’s mental health unit
“Responsible juvenile justice reform also takes into account the needs of public safety,” wrote Gov. Janet Mills
The settlement also requires prisons to expand inmates’ time out of cell to at least 3.5 hours a day by July 12
Bridget Cadena is suing MDOC, alleging she was forced to quit her job after a co-worker harassed her for her sexuality
An ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at the facility has infected more than 200 inmates and 19 COs, two of whom remain hospitalized
Brian Dunn, attorney for Jacorey Shaw’s parents, says there was both negligence and a cover-up conspiracy involved in Shaw’s death investigation
After stabbing a CO in 1990, Aaron Isby was ordered to pay over $8,000 for medical expenses
Two now former Doña Ana County detention officers filed suit in February after the county required COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment
One of the 10 COs charged in the incident filed an emergency request last week
The order had been sought as part of a lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general last week
“For sale” signs have popped up. Restaurants and hotels — which rely on inmates’ visitors — brace for plummeting business
Both men have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a March incident that left a corrections officer and a nurse dead
A trial over whether immigration detainees must get minimum wage — instead of $1 a day — has ended with a hung jury
Nearly 140 employees work at the minimum-security prison. About 1,000 inmates will be moved to other facilities
Lawyers say too many mentally ill patients spend months in jail, where they suffer while awaiting medical attention
Jury selection is underway in a trial to determine whether GEO Group must pay minimum wage to detainees at its Wash. state immigration detention center
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- Fifth Circuit: No qualified immunity for deputies who allegedly used excessive force against pre-trial detainee who died in cell
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- 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