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Oklahoma: Hospital Sues Sheriff over Unpaid Medical Bills, for Third Time
For the third time in the past eight years, Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel has been sued for damages by a local hospital, which accuses him of releasing dozens of jail prisoners to avoid having to pay their medical bills.
Prior lawsuits involving Whetsel's handling of detainee medical costs have …
Prior lawsuits involving Whetsel's handling of detainee medical costs have …
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More from this issue:
- Fourth Circuit: No Qualified Immunity for Bail Bondsmen; $100,000 Damages Award Upheld
- Slowly Closing the Gates: A State-by-State Assessment of Recent Prison Closures, by Christopher Petrella
- Solidarity and Solitary: When Unions Clash with Prison Reform, by James Ridgeway
- TN Court of Appeals Rules Against CCA for Second Time in PLN Public Records Case
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- New York Commission of Correction Says Jails Don't Need Law Libraries
- How the Prison - Industrial Complex Destroys Lives, by Mark Karlin
- Charting a New Justice Reinvestment, by Nicole D. Porter
- Oregon Juvenile Department Employee Gets Jail Time for Sexualizing Booking Photos
- Florida Proceeds with Privatization of Prison Medical Care
- New Law Gives Parents Behind Bars in Washington State a Way to Hold onto Their Children, by Victoria Law
- U.S. Supreme Court Reinstates BOP Prisoner's FTCA Suit, by J.R. Bloom
- Reprieved Oregon Prisoner Wages Legal Fight to be Executed
- Eighth Circuit: Heck Bars False Imprisonment Claim
- Research Study Finding Benefits from Prison Privatization Funded by Private Prison Companies
- CCA Pays $100,000 after Exiting Contract to Operate Florida Jail
- TransCor May Face Punitive Damages for Prisoner's Death, by Christopher Zoukis
- New York DOCCS Settles Statewide PLN Censorship Suit for $155,000, by Alex Friedmann
- Sixth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Prisoner's Sexual Orientation Discrimination Suit
- Plata and Coleman Showdown in California, by John Dannenberg
- New Hampshire Cancels Private Prison Bids, but Bill Prohibiting Prison Privatization Fails to Pass
- Oregon Rape Victim's Rights Clash with Rights of Accused Rapist
- PLN Prevails in Challenge to Postcard-only Policy at Oregon Jail
- Oklahoma: Hospital Sues Sheriff over Unpaid Medical Bills, for Third Time, by Christopher Zoukis
- Former Michigan Assistant Attorney General Held Liable for Targeting Gay Student
- Maryland Repeals Death Penalty, by Christopher Zoukis
- Millions Owed in Unpaid Restitution in Oregon
- Canadian Prisoners Escape via Helicopter, by John Dannenberg
- Supermax: Controlling Risk Through Solitary Confinement, by Sharon Shalev (Willan Publishing, September 2009). 346 pages, $39.95, by Julie Etter
- Prison Legal News Files Public Records Suit Against CCA in Texas
- Oregon Pays Record $5.85 Million for Abuse of Foster Child and Abuser's Death in Prison
- Florida Legislator Resigns in Wake of Texting Scandal
- Pennsylvania Prison Guards, Sergeants Out-earn Supervisors, by David Reutter
- Survey Finds Disturbing Trends in Childhood Violence, Racial Dynamics for Juvenile Lifers
- Oregon State Police Handwriting Analysis Unit Closed, under Investigation
- Former Halfway House Director Sentenced to 18 Months
- Oklahoma Escapee Surrenders to Police after 14 Years on the Run, by Christopher Zoukis
- CDCR to Open New Mental Health Facility
- Tennessee Supreme Court: No Separate Parole Dates for Consecutive Sentences, by Matthew T. Clarke
- News in Brief
More from Christopher Zoukis:
- The Contraband Wars Prison authorities target books and mail, miss the goods coming through the staff door, July 1, 2021
- Trump v. Biden on Criminal Justice, Oct. 1, 2020
- Coronavirus in Prison: The Cruel Reality, Aug. 1, 2020
- With Lives of Immigrant Detainees at Risk to COVID-19, Federal Judge Forces ICE’s Hand, July 1, 2020
- A Nation on the Brink, June 15, 2020
- Federal Court Slams Michigan Jail for Bungling COVID-19 Pandemic, Demands Names of Vulnerable Prisoners for Release, June 1, 2020
- Silence: The Bureau of Prisons’ Pathetic Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, June 1, 2020
- New York Judge Orders Release of 18 Rikers Island Detainees Due to COVID-19 Risk, June 1, 2020
- Coronavirus: A Nationwide Survey of the Push for Early Release as Pandemic Fears Grow, May 1, 2020
- California Three-Judge Court Denies Emergency Motion to Reduce Prison Population During Pandemic, May 1, 2020
More from these topics:
- Prisoners in Oklahoma Can Now Buy Vapes, Pouches from Commissary, April 1, 2026. Medical, Statistics/Trends, Commissary, Prison Regulations.
- Minnesota Study Shows Disproportionate Rate of Health and Mental Problems for Recently Incarcerated, March 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Medical, Statistics/Trends, Mental Health, Health care.
- Report on “Pay-to-Stay” Fees Makes Strong Case for Their Repeal, Jan. 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Medical Expenses, Cost of Prison Systems, housing, Ability to Pay.
- Eleventh Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Six Female Alabama Jail Detainees’ Sexual Assault Suit, Jan. 1, 2026. Jail Misconduct, Summary Judgment, Limitations, Municipal Liability, Criminal Sexual Abuse.
- Soaring Medical Costs in Washington Jails, Jan. 1, 2026. Private Contractors, Medical Expenses, Malpractice, Jail Specific, Contractor Liability.
- Second Circuit Vacates Finding that Prisoner Failed to Exhaust Administrative Remedies; Remands Conditions of Confinement and Due Process Claims, Dec. 1, 2025. Totality of Conditions, Failure to Protect (General), Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA), Municipal Liability, Ad-Seg Hearings.
- Enormous $14 Million Settlement Reached by Los Angeles County with Former Prisoner Exonerated After 20 Years, Nov. 1, 2025. Municipal Liability, Fabrication of Evidence, Favorable Disposition, Eyewitness Identification, Withholding of Exculpatory Evidence.
- $2.4 Million Paid to Indiana Prisoners Sickened With Legionnaire’s Disease by Contaminated Water, Nov. 1, 2025. Contagious Disease -- Misc., Water, Settlements, Municipal Liability, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- Oklahoma County Jailers Lose Bids to Derail Three Suits Over Detainee Murders, Nov. 1, 2025. Failure to Protect (General), Overcrowding, Staffing, Municipal Liability, Deliberate Indifference.
- Over One-Third of Older Texas Prisoners Suffering Cognitive Impairment, July 15, 2025. Geriatric Classification, Medical, Failure to Treat, Elderly Defendants.