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.
Justices will weigh claims of racial bias in Terry Pitchford’s trial, similar to those that led to a 2019 Supreme Court reversal in another case involving the same prosecutor
The Allegheny County corrections union is challenging a voter-backed ban on chemical agents and restraints
The judge ruled that a “blanket ban on hormone therapy constitutes grossly inadequate care for gender dysphoria and risks imminent injury”
A city Law Department spokeswoman said the settlement “was in the best interest of all parties involved”
The officer said he was passed over for promotion in January after reporting sexual misconduct allegations against his supervisor
With the number of prisoners continuing to rise, some lawmakers believe the time is ripe to make fresh changes to the adult criminal justice system
The Council on American-Islamic Relations says officials at the Riverside Regional Jail have set aside a housing pod exclusively for Christian inmates
The nurse claims her firing was retaliation for reporting incomplete blood pressure exams, “improper sticks” and medication errors
It is the first verdicts in a case that will involve 17 inmates over the next several months
Three other inmates attacked after hearing the inmate was an informant, one of whom used a homemade knife to sever his ear
The bill aims to increase training, education, counseling and substance abuse treatment for federal inmates
All three defendants were charged with first-degree murder, assault, kidnapping, riot and conspiracy following the riot at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center
The suit also says the county failed to warn the woman that the 15-year-old was a danger to female employees
The bill would ease mandatory minimum sentences for some federal offenders, including ending mandatory life sentences for drug dealers
One bill would create a system that would allow geriatric inmates to be released from prison before the end of their sentence
Prosecutors have asked that the inmate appear at his upcoming trial secured to a wheeled restraint chair, wearing a mesh spit mask over his face and with an electrified security belt around his waist
The state also agreed to change policy in assessing inmates with HIV, the proposed settlement says
The inmate is among 17 prisoners charged in the riot, 16 of whom are charged with murder in the death of Sgt. Steven Floyd
Congressional aides said officials are close to an agreement on the legislation, which would give judges more discretion in sentencing
The proposed legislation will require state officials to study health care staffing in prisons and issue a report on the issue twice each year
John R. Gallagher, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sexual assault in August
In 2016, MCO created the “Officer Dignity Initiative” to hold inmates accountable
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey released memos earlier this year that sheriffs may no longer personally profit from a very small portion of jail food funds
More than one million felons, barring those convicted of murder or sex crimes, will be able to vote again
Alabama has for years refused to release the details of its execution process and where it gets the drugs used in lethal injections
Reforms were aimed at breaking a cycle of recidivism by punishing nonviolent offenders in ways other than jail
In two 4-3 rulings, justices ruled the competency law violated due process rights guaranteed in the Arkansas and U.S. Constitutions
The lawsuit alleges that state officials have known of, but largely ignored, abusive conditions at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center for years
Judge William Carpenter Jr. told jurors that Roman Shankaras will be tried later with another group of inmates
A judge has temporarily halted the trial of four inmates after a riot that left a CO dead
“Do [prison alternatives] help improve public safety, or are you just letting people out of prison because there are too many bodies in there?” an official asked
The former officer claims in a lawsuit that he had been forced to work alone in the prison’s restricted housing unit despite being ill and untrained
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the winners Wednesday of the second round of its Safety and Justice Challenge grants, including the largest award to Philadelphia