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.
Paul Kendrick, 30, was sentenced for the 2018 beating death of Sgt. Mark Baserman and received two additional life terms for assaults on COs
Lyle and Erik Menendez are set for separate parole hearings that could lead to their release nearly 30 years after their convictions for killing their parents
Sen. Saud Anwar said solitary confinement harms not only those incarcerated but also COs, who face moral injuries along with higher rates of anxiety and depression
Missouri already bans smoking inside prison buildings, but it allowed it in designated areas outside
The two bills are the latest attempt to keep the prison population below the cap set by federal judges
State legislators declared that juvenile lifers would be parole-eligible after a term of 30 or fewer years
A man accused in a plot to behead blogger Pamela Geller became consumed by ISIS propaganda because he was overweight, lonely and desperate for an escape from his bleak life, his attorney said
Judge Mark Windham postponed the hearing because Hurricane Harvey damaged the homes and offices of some of Durst’s lawyers, who live in Houston
Esteban Carpio was being taken to headquarters to be questioned about a stabbing when he shot Sgt. James Allen
District Attorney Stephen Bradley said he plans to seek the death penalty against Donnie Russell Rowe and Ricky Dubose, who allegedly killed COs three months ago
Two forensic psychologists testified that Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser had a shared delusion that Slender Man was real and could kill their families
Inmate tablets present a proven, cost-effective way to make jail staff safer and prepare inmates to live productive lives upon release
Getting staff to understand the Prison Rape Elimination Act and see it as valuable helps create a culture that supports compliance
In July, DOC officials were ordered to reduce or eliminate their use of solitary confinement, pepper spray and restraints to manage behavior of inmates
The complaint filed Wednesday by four former inmates says COs organized fights that pitted teenagers against each other
The bill would limit how local and state police can interact with federal immigration agents
Melissa Westendorf said a shared delusional disorder left Anissa Weier unable to conform her conduct to the law
Assistant DA Kevin Osborne told jurors that Anissa Weier may have believed Slender Man was real, but she had the mental capacity to know she was committing a crime
As it stands, former U.S. attorney Kenneth Polite Jr. says the same conduct can result in vastly different sentences or release eligibility under different statutes
A plea agreement calls for Anissa Weier to be committed to a mental hospital for at least three years if she’s judged to have been mentally ill
A plea deal Anissa Weier has reached with prosecutors calls for 10 years in prison if she’s found not to have been mentally ill
Steven Shults said he wants to be sure prison officials are complying with state law
Judges would be required in certain cases to consider a defendant’s mental health during sentencing
The court ruled that a federal judge prematurely dismissed the inmates’ claims and should have held evidentiary hearings
The state Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Rick Scott had the power to reassign cases from State Attorney Aramis Ayala
Gary Otte’s attorneys argue the state hasn’t shown it can ensure inmates are rendered deeply unconscious
The Five Percenters are currently barred from having gatherings or access to their texts in prison
The question of whether judges should be armed got renewed attention after a judge who was carrying a gun was shot outside his courthouse and fired back
The California Supreme Court has upheld a ballot measure to change the state’s dysfunctional death penalty system and speed up executions
In June, an inmate shot and injured two deputies at the Coffee County Courthouse before shooting and killing himself
Police said a man who was in the car with the suspected shooter was taken into custody
Marcellus Williams is set to die by injection Tuesday
A sheriff and judge violated the rights of inmates by promising to reduce their sentences if they underwent birth control procedures, an ex-inmate says in a lawsuit
