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.
During closing arguments, the defense told the jury that their clients didn’t participate in the fatal assault of Robert Brooks and were trying to do their jobs in difficult circumstances
Why intensive, accountable treatment courts beat “probation as usual” and how agencies can target the right people, measure results and keep communities safe
Lance Shockley waited for hours near Sgt. Carl Graham Jr.’s home, then shot him with a rifle and shotgun as the trooper exited his cruiser
Health experts and criminal justice advocates are pushing for early inmate releases to alleviate crowding
The assistant director of Cook County Jail testified that more than 175 tiers in the facility have transitioned to single-cell housing to help stem the spread of COVID-19
Corrections officers claim they are due pay for the time it takes to begin and end each shift
Lawyers argued the ruling was “absurd,” because it prioritized the needs of inmates over front line workers
“Now it’s Connecticut’s turn to protect us,” Collin Provost, a state prison corrections officer and union president, said
U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar said the state’s COVID-19 death toll and overall numbers were far worse than those reflected in the prisons
Inmates claim imprisonment during the pandemic puts their health at risk and violates their constitutional rights to be free from cruel and unusual punishment
The ACLU urged a judge to release vulnerable inmates at FCC Oakdale to home confinement, calling the facility a tinderbox “ready to explode”
A lawsuit claims Gov. Greg Abbott exceeded his authority and improperly removed judges’ discretionary powers
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly mandated that Chicago’s Cook County Jail test all inmates as soon as they show signs of COVID-19
“We can’t incarcerate our way out of this pandemic, but governors, sheriffs, prosecutors, and the president have the power, and responsibility, to save lives,” an ACLU official said
Learn how COVID-19 has impacted law enforcement and corrections personnel and how public safety has adjusted its response
The judge also ordered Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation to explain what steps are being taken to protect already sick inmates from COVID-19
A judge ruled that although Baca faced a heightened risk of contracting COVID-19, releasing him on bail wouldn’t mitigate the threat to his health
The lawsuit says conditions at FCC Oakdale “run afoul of the prisoners’ Eighth Amendment protection from cruel and unusual punishment”
The three-judge court said they do not have authority under a 2009 order limiting the state’s prison population levels
PSOB releases statement underscoring the need to prove on-the-job exposure
The lawsuit claims that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has failed to put in place the necessary infection control policies and practices at a geriatric prison
Derek Lichtenwalter, 44, argued that he is a non-violent offender and is considered high-risk because of his HIV diagnosis
Governors in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington have all halted executions in recent years
The establishment of the task force comes as the nation’s jails and prisons are on high alert in response to COVID-19
A jury found Brian Y. Ambroise not guilty of charges including official misconduct and conspiracy to commit sexual assault
Some officers’ 12-hour shifts will change to 8.5-hour work days in an effort to reduce fatigue
The settlement comes after five inmates’ faces were pepper-sprayed while they were handcuffed and kneeling in 2016
The sheriffs argued community safety was in danger due to ‘catch and release’ practices by the Missouri Department of Corrections
“The eyes of the nation will be watching as we try to transform a system defined too often by jail bars and barbed-wire fences to a community-based system”
The suit is the latest in a series of complaints brought against the department by employees who allege they have faced various forms of workplace discrimination
For the entire legislative session, there have been more people incarcerated at the state’s jails than there are beds in those jails
The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled inmates shouldn’t be given the same ability to vote late as those who are suddenly hospitalized
Colin Akparanta will pay restitution to more than a half-dozen inmates he was accused of abusing during his tenure at the Metropolitan Correctional Center
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