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.
At least 127 inmates have been hospitalized with suspected overdoses in 2025, compared with 59 for the entirety of 2024, Nevada DOC said
Anthony Boyd was executed at Holman prison for his role in the 1993 killing of Gregory Huguley, who was burned alive over a drug debt
The group faces 13 charges after a months-long investigation into contraband at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women
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
The suit alleges two former rookie sheriff’s deputies, without provocation, brutally beat a former inmate and knocked him unconscious
An investigation found Wellpath was accused of contributing to more than 70 deaths at other prisons
The proposed legislation comes after nearly 900 COs appealed the DOC’s “chronic absence” designation
The justices will hear arguments that could put the brakes on what has been a gradual move toward more leniency for children who are convicted of murder
The probe, which was published last year, explored complaints and issues in 32 states
Inmates learned how to sign up to vote and cast absentee ballots from the Howard County Detention Center
The group claims the DOC isn’t enforcing its mask requirement, providing inmates adequate soap and cleaning supplies or properly quarantining inmates
Use of force incidents soared to 719 in March, according to data presented in the 296-page report
Jail officials testified about the need to give inmates with serious mental health problems proper treatment
A state appeals court took the unprecedented step of ordering at least half of the prison’s 2,900 inmates transferred or released
Court security officers must be ready at any given moment to respond to a critical incident in the courtroom
The law takes effect in 16 days, meaning the first wave of releases will happen the day after Election Day
More than a dozen county elections supervisors said it is too late to remove anyone from the voter rolls
Inmates who are serving additional time because firearms were involved in their crimes could see their sentences reduced
The lawsuit alleged that the Sheriff’s Department routinely held people in jail for days, weeks or even months beyond the dates of their release
Under the ruling, at least four immigration detention centers with the capacity to house approximately 5,000 people would be phased out over the coming years
Leaders with the Voting Access for All Coalition hope to reach 5,000 jailed voters across the state
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