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.
A federal court ruled the Bureau of Prisons likely violated due process in seeking to transfer inmates with commuted death sentences to the Supermax facility
Ronald Palmer Heath becomes the state’s first execution of 2026 following a three-drug lethal injection at Florida State Prison
The Atwater corrections officer said she feared for her life, but video showed the inmate walking away before she pursued and punched him
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
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
