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.
Matthew Millar was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the 2022 death of Jason Rothe at the Secure Psychiatric Unit in Concord
Edward Zakrzewski’s execution is the ninth in 2025 — more than any other state and the most Florida has carried out in a year since 1976
Auditors say nine staff remained on paid leave up to 3.5 years beyond limits set by state regulations and contracts
A study group recommended a sweeping rewrite of the state’s approach to crime and prisoner rehabilitation
The group alleges that Sheriff Thomas Hodgson violated the state’s public records law by refusing to release documents in response to its request
The court said executing Pedro Solis Sosa would carry “an unacceptable risk” that his punishment would be unconstitutionally cruel because of his intellectual disabilities
Under a proposed bill, jurors would have to find unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant should be executed
The measure would have provided full benefits to officers injured on duty
Missouri State Penitentiary opened in 1836 and was the oldest continually operating prison west of the Mississippi River when it shut down in 2004
The jury found probable cause for “abuse of a resident of a penal facility” in the death of Terrill Thomas in 2016
Jack Greene wanted hearings on grounds that lower courts too often reject appeals, that he is not mentally competent and that his lawyer was bad
The court is hearing Ohio’s appeal of a federal judge’s order finding the state’s latest execution process unconstitutional
Over the past seven years, Los Angeles jail officials have seen a nearly 50 percent increase in the number of mentally ill inmates
Detectives said a witness told them Johnathan Cruz confessed he’d been “purging,” in a reference to the movie about violent crime being legal one night each year
The Texas Judicial Council said the inmates were incarcerated because they couldn’t afford to post bail or in some cases were unfairly identified as flight risks
Arkansas is facing a lawsuit from drug distributor McKesson Corp., which wants the state to return its remaining supply of vecuronium bromide
Cold case investigators arrested Leon Dudley in Ohio last June based on his Social Security number, which had been stolen along with his identity years before
Ohio plans to use a massive dose of 500 milligrams of midazolam, which attorneys for the state say is more than enough to render inmates unconscious
Albert Victory won his release but now, his lawsuit claiming parole officials fabricated a reason to try and keep him in prison could be going to trial
Tommy Arthur’s attorney says a wig he wore during the murder is the only piece of physical evidence that can exonerate him
The governor said he does not think Arkansas needs to change its execution protocol, citing court rulings that have upheld the use of the sedative midazolam
The suit claims the FDA’s refusal to release the drugs for use in lawful executions will cause ongoing harm to the state
The bill would mandate jails to share information on the availability of health care services, proper nutrition, and other procedures protecting pregnant inmates
Greg Taylor was the first man to be declared innocent of murder in North Carolina
Opponents in the House are concerned about the threat of offering parole opportunities to inmates convicted of violent and heinous crimes
Justin Straub fell to the ground where the “inmate continued the assault and repeatedly kicked the officer in the head”
Timothy Anderson said he had created a religious nonprofit that aims to get the powerful narcotic to “the sick, lost, blind, lame, deaf and dead members of God’'''s Kingdom”
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected 15 claims raised by Kimberly Cargill, who was convicted in 2012 of causing the asphyxiation of Cherry Walker
J.W. Ledford is scheduled to die May 16 for the fatal stabbing of his neighbor, Dr. Harry Johnston
CO Kristopher Moules’ estate sued the firms as well, stating the company is liable for the deaths
The standard procedure has been to turn off a microphone after an inmate’s last statement and turn it on again for the official pronouncement of death
Proponents of the ban argued cash-strapped Louisiana should not be spending money on death penalty appeals, especially when only one person has been put to death since 2002
The gang purportedly smuggled at least 75 tons of cocaine into the U.S. and made some $2 billion during the hyperviolent “Miami Vice” era