More from this issue:

1. Trends in Prisoner Litigation, as the PLRA Enters Adulthood, by Margo Schlanger
2. Guard Admits Guilt, but Lawsuit Dismissed against Jail Supervisors, by Derek Gilna
3. Report on Prosecutorial Coercion in Obtaining Drug Pleas, by Derek Gilna
4. Sesame Street Creates Muppet with Father in Jail, by Christopher Zoukis
5. Sex Assault Charges against Wiccan Ex-Prison Chaplain Dismissed, by Joe Watson
6. New Mexico County Jail Pays $1.5 Million to Mentally Ill Prisoner, by Derek Gilna
7. Digital Darkness and Silence for Sex Offenders in the Information Age, by Andrew Extein
8. TDCJ’s $100 Annual Fee for Prisoner Health Care Held Constitutional, by David Reutter
9. Michigan to Accommodate Religious Rights of Muslim Prisoners, by David Reutter
10. 10th Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Halfway House Escape Charge, by Derek Gilna
11. Former West Virginia Judge Pleads Guilty, Sentenced, by Joe Watson
12. Grand Jury Report: Prisoners in Charge at Mississippi County Jail, by David Reutter
13. Chicago City Council Approves Reparations for Police Torture Victims, by Joe Watson
14. Texas Prison Guard Union Urges Death Row Reforms, by Christopher Zoukis
15. North Carolina Prisons Slow to Change Attitudes about Mentally Ill Prisoners, by David Reutter
16. West Virginia Prisoner Wins Over $905,000 in FTCA Claim, by Derek Gilna
17. PLN Settles Censorship Suit against GEO Group at Indiana Prison
18. Doctor Involved in Botched Oklahoma Execution Unsuccessfully Sued in Federal Court, by Christopher Zoukis
19. Understanding Mass Incarceration: A People’s Guide to the Key Civil Rights Struggle of Our Time, by James Kilgore (The New Press, 2015). 272 pages, $17.95 (paperback), by Russ Immarigeon
20. New York: Burns from Faulty Steam Cooker Net Prisoner $2,500, by Mark Wilson
21. Pennsylvania: $65,000 Settlement for Brain Injury Caused by Guard’s Excessive Force, by David Reutter
22. Texas Leads the Nation in Both Executions and Exonerations, by Matthew Clarke
23. CCA Prison in Ohio Loses BOP Contract
24. PLN Prevails in Censorship Suit against Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, by Gary Hunter
25. Mississippi Indictments Illustrate Prison Phone Corruption, by Derek Gilna
26. Closed Colorado Prison Converted into Homeless Program, by David Reutter
27. DC Circuit Denies Appeal of Order to Release Force-Feeding Videos, by Derek Gilna
28. California: Private Medical Provider can be Liable for ADA Violations; Class-action Suit Settles, by David Reutter
29. Two Kentucky Jail Guards Face Charges in Prisoner’s Death, by David Reutter
30. Inside the Small California Town with a Lot of Prisons, but Not Much Opportunity, by Matt Tinoco
31. North Carolina Guard Gets Three Months for Killing Prisoner, by Christopher Zoukis
32. HRDC and 93 Organizations Ask EPA to Consider Prisoners in Environmental Justice Plan
33. Cell Phones Confiscated from Prisoners Given to Charities, by Christopher Zoukis
34. Ninth Circuit Finds Forfeited Assets Satisfy Restitution Order; Eleventh Circuit Disagrees, by Derek Gilna
35. $36 Million Awarded to Two Men Wrongfully Convicted of Rape, Murder, by David Reutter
36. $1.2 Million Award for Failure to Treat New York Prisoner’s Rectal Bleeding, by David Reutter
37. Breaking News: CDCR Settles Solitary Confinement Class-Action Suit, by Derek Gilna
38. Due Process Violation for “Sham” Reviews During 13 Years in Segregation, by David Reutter
39. Hundreds of South Carolina Prisoners Sent to Solitary Confinement Over Facebook, by Dave Maass
40. More Jurisdictions Don’t Renew Corizon Contracts – Including Big Loss in New York City, by Greg Dober
41. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
42. 16 Years of Failure to Treat Neurological Disorder Results in $48,000 Award, by David Reutter
43. PLRA Attorney Fee Limits Inapplicable to Discovery Violation Awards
44. News In Brief
45. Criminal Justice Resources

More from David Reutter:

• Sixth Circuit Announces State-Law Exceptions to Appeal Deadlines Preserve “Pending” Status Under AEDPA, Holding Belated-Appeal Procedures Toll Federal Habeas Limitations Period, April 1, 2026
• Florida Supreme Court Announces Rule 3.170(f)’s Good-Cause Plea-Withdrawal Standard Does Not Apply at Post-Appeal Resentencing, April 1, 2026
• Colorado Supreme Court Announces Defendant Must Be Competent Before Undergoing Mental-Condition Examination Under § 16-8-107(3)(b), April 1, 2026
• California Court of Appeal Announces Plea Agreements Cannot Bar § 1172.1 Resentencing, Holds Merit-Based Denial of Petition Is Appealable, April 1, 2026
• Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies That Failure to Object to Ineligible Juror Does Not Constitute Waiver Unless Party Knew or Could Have Discovered Ineligibility Through Ordinary Diligence, April 1, 2026
• Washington State Guard’s Conviction Affirmed in Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Scheme, March 1, 2026
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Motion Judge Abused Discretion by Denying Evidentiary Hearing on IAC Claim Where Plea Counsel’s Affidavit Was Not Inherently Inconsistent With Colloquy Statements Regarding Immigration Advice, March 1, 2026
• Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Double Jeopardy Analysis for Multiple Assault Convictions, Holding That Assaultive Acts Occurring Over Short Time Period in Same Location Without Intervening Events Constitute Single Course of Conduct, March 1, 2026
• New Jersey Supreme Court Reverses Drug Convictions Under Cumulative Error Doctrine, Holding Combined Effect of Improper References to Television Series, Gun Violence, and Search Warrants Deprived Defendant of Fair Trial, March 1, 2026
• New York Court of Appeals Announces Coercive Police Tactics Compelling Suspect to Exit Home Constitute “Constructive Entry” Violating Payton, Holds Attenuation Analysis Applies to Third-Party Consent, March 1, 2026

More from these topics:

• Atlanta Jail Boasts Improvements Since Consent Decree, Reports from Monitor and ACLU Are More Critical, May 1, 2026. Staffing, Sanitation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Consent Decrees, Bail/Pretrial Release.
• Six Maryland Guards Convicted in Prisoner’s Beating, Cover-up; § 1983 Suit Filed, May 1, 2026. Guard Brutality/Beatings, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Obstruction of Justice, Wrongful Use of Force, Evidence - Destruction/Fabrication/Manipulation of.
• Judge Denies New York Prison Chief’s Motion to be Dismissed from Case Related to Robert Brooks’ Murder, May 1, 2026. Work Strikes, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Failure to Train/Supervise, Police--Excessive Force, Deliberate Indifference.
• Sixth Circuit Revives Michigan Prisoner’s Challenge to Guard Tackle That Broke His Foot, March 1, 2026. Evidentiary Ruling (Disciplinary Hearings), Guard Brutality/Beatings, Summary Judgment, Qualified Immunity, Wrongful Use of Force.
• Differing Judicial Outcomes for the New York Guards Who Killed Robert Brooks, Feb. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Pending Appeal/Sentencing.
• The New York Prison System’s Culture of Cruelty and Impunity, Feb. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Racial Discrimination, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death).
• 2025 Was a Deadly Year for Veterans Behind Bars, Jan. 1, 2026. Brain Injury, Death Penalty, Mental Health, Veterans, Mental Health Experts.
• $404,000 Verdict for Ohio Prisoner Brutalized by Trio of Guards, Kept in Solitary for Two Years, Jan. 1, 2026. Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Retaliatory Segregation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement.
• Sixth Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity for Michigan Jailer Accused of Retaliatory Assault, Jan. 1, 2026. Retaliation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Qualified Immunity, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
• New Jersey Supreme Court Announces “Shaking Without Impact” Expert Testimony Inadmissible, Holding Shaken Baby Syndrome Diagnosis Lacks Required General Acceptance Within Biomechanical Engineering Community Under Frye, Dec. 15, 2025. Brain Injury, Forensic Sciences, Evidence - Integrity/Reliability of, Expert and Opinion Testimony, Scientific Testimony or Evidence.