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.
Najee Jackson tried to bypass security by removing layers of clothing, but a search of his vest exposed the hidden contraband
Seth L. Davis, 20, was sentenced to a deferred judgment, community service and anger management for an assault at Centennial Correctional Facility
The lawsuit hit during an ongoing Department of Justice investigation that began in February 2023 after a spate of 18 inmate deaths in county jails in 2022
Senators voted 36-0 to pass the measure, aimed at creating tougher penalties for people caught trafficking smaller amounts of heroin or fentanyl
Sen. Toni Atkins said the bill would let state and county inmates apply for the legal changes without first getting approval from several state correctional officials
A Senate version of the bill has not been scheduled for a hearing, so it appears the measure will suffer the same fate as death penalty repeal efforts in previous years
Brendan Dassey’s attorney argued the detectives made a “drumbeat of promises” before every major admission in the confession
Filed in December, the current lawsuit is about protecting the safety of the officers by allowing them to arm themselves on and off the job
The state Department of Health says the bill has the potential to improve the health of especially vulnerable infants and reduce health care costs
Capital punishment was abolished by the state Supreme Court in 2015
A state district judge lowered the bond to $150,000 later Friday
Bills to abolish the state’s death penalty have failed in every legislative session since 1999
The prisons agency tried to obtain the active ingredient in the drug, pentobarbital, in hopes of having a compounded version made
The court ruled former death-row inmates who received new sentences have a right to avoid solitary confinement
Mandatory minimum sentences remove incentives for inmates to behave and can endanger COs and other inmates, said Sen. Ernie Chambers
Lawmakers are advancing a proposal to add firing squad, electrocution and gas chamber as execution methods in case a court blocks the use of lethal injection drugs
Sheriff Thomas Hodgson offered inmate labor to help President Trump build a wall between Mexico and the U.S.
Zolo Azania was released after spending 35 years behind bars for the murder of Lt. George Yaros
Corrections officials said the new facility would be safer and cheaper to maintain than the existing one
Proposal sponsor Rep. Paul Ray said human trafficking is a big problem in Utah, so he wants to hold the leaders of human trafficking rings accountable
Lawmakers are considering a plan that would expand capital punishment in the state so that criminals convicted of sex trafficking that leads to death could be executed
Lawyers for Aaron Hernandez asked for a three-month delay to the start of their client’s double-murder trial so they can review new information
The Council of State Governments’ Justice Center estimated the housing and parole sanction bills would save about $18.5M in 2018-19
Activists who say too many poor people are unfairly languishing in jail because they can’t afford to post cash bail are trying a new tactic: Bailing out strangers
Brandon Moore was sentenced to 112 years for crimes he committed when he was 15
The Montana House gave initial approval to bills that would add protections for public workers who allege government waste, fraud or abuse within their agencies
The lawsuit alleges the psychologists’ contracted with the CIA to develop interrogation methods such as waterboarding
In an attempt to deal with recurring turnover and job vacancies in the state’s troubled prison system, the governor is proposing to boost the pay of COs and other employees
The draft orders a review of interrogation methods used on terror suspects and calls for suggested modifications that would not violate the U.S. legal ban on torture
A judge said the first drug couldn’t pass a constitutional bar of causing “substantial risk of serious harm”
Cheryl Bormann is the lead attorney for defendant Walid bin Attash, and her presence is required because she is the only “learned counsel”
Johnny Hincapie said he falsely confessed to playing a part in a 1990 mugging that ended with the deadly stabbing
The goal is to divert people with mental illnesses away from the jail, which provides services to more than 2,000 inmates every year
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