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Surgeon General’s Report: Substance Abuse Continues to Grow in America
by Derek Gilna
A new report from the federal government documents what many already know: that the problem of substance abuse addiction continues to expand, now affecting an estimated 20.8 million Americans. That’s more than the total number of people in the U.S. with cancer.
Prisoners at …
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More from this issue:
- Opening the Door, by Jean Casella and Aviva Stahl
- American University Removes Statue of Imprisoned Native American Activist, by Derek Gilna
- Mississippi Closes Troubled Former Youth Prison
- Denver Man, Accused of Rape Due to Mishandled DNA, Has Lawsuit Dismissed, by Derek Gilna
- Prisoner Rights Event Prompts Florida Prison System Lockdown, by Derek Gilna
- California Prison Officials Shift Responsibility for Work Injuries to Prisoners, by Derek Gilna
- Oregon Parole Board Must Define Applicable Statutory Terms
- Oregon Prisoner’s Conversion Claim Against Guard Reinstated
- Florida, South Carolina, New Jersey Latest States to Pass Mugshot Extortion Laws
- Third Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment on SHU Strip Search Claims
- Prison Mailbox Rule Applies to Alabama Sentence Reconsideration Motions
- Oregon Prosecutors and Cops Bully Parole Board into Improperly Rescinding Parole; Court Orders Release
- Extensive Contraband Found During Shakedowns at Mississippi Prisons
- Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke’s Jail Under Fire for Deaths, Civil Rights Abuses, by Christopher Zoukis
- HOPE and SCF Probation Programs Criticized in Study, by Derek Gilna
- Utah Supreme Court Reverses Termination of Prisoner’s Parental Rights
- Plastic Spoon Not a “Dangerous Weapon” Under Oregon Law
- BJS Studies Show Number of Prisoners, Probationers Continues to Drop Slightly, by Derek Gilna
- DOJ Publishes Ten-step Program for Halfway House Reforms
- Missouri Prisoner’s IRA May be Seized for Incarceration Costs
- Oregon Prison Officials Must Provide Post-release Disability Care
- Abuses at Louisiana Jail Investigated, Ten Deputies Plead Guilty, by David Reutter
- HRDC/PLN Obtain Landmark Nationwide Censorship Settlement with Private Prison Company, by Derek Gilna
- Fifth Circuit Vacates Dismissal of Texas Grooming Policy RLUIPA Claim
- Ninth Circuit Reinstates Wiccan Prisoner’s Consent Decree
- Seventh Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment in Retaliatory Discipline Case
- $6.5 Million Jury Award in Oklahoma Jail Rape Lawsuit, by Matthew Clarke
- Almost 270 Die in Pre-trial Detention in Canadian Jails in Last Five Years, by Derek Gilna
- TN Prison Counselor Suspended for Posting Insults on Facebook, by Joe Watson
- Ninth Circuit: Courtroom Deputy Entitled to Qualified, Not Absolute, Immunity
- Numerous Lawsuits Filed Against Corizon Nationwide; Company Loses Contracts, by Matthew Clarke
- Federal Court Approves Landmark BOP ADX Mental Health Settlement, by Derek Gilna
- Exonerated Man Receives $6 Million in Malicious Prosecution Settlement, by Christopher Zoukis
- FCC Chairman Called Out on Conflict of Interest Concerning Prison Phone Company, by Carrie Wilkinson
- No Private Prisons in King County, Washington
- Private Prison Companies’ Plan to License “Baby Jails” Fails in Texas Legislature, by Bob Libal
- Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Automatic Disenfranchisement for all Felony Convictions, by Matthew Clarke
- Stolen Credit Cards Laundered Through Global Tel*Link in Ohio Prisons, by Christopher Zoukis
- Indiana Court Cannot Reduce 45-Day Filing Fee Time Limit
- With General Inch in Charge, We Can Expect Further Militarization of the Prison System, by Brian Dolinar
- Ohio State Criminal Convictions Threatened by Evidence Technician’s Misconduct, by Derek Gilna
- Deaths at North Carolina Jail Due to Lack of Medical, Mental Health Care
- Federal Judge Claims Three-year-olds Can Understand Immigration Law, by Christopher Zoukis
- Leader of Fraudulent Scheme Targeting Prisoners Convicted, Sent to Prison, by Christopher Zoukis
- Pretrial Diversion: Pay Not to Stay (in Jail), by Christopher Zoukis
- Brennan Center Asks: “How Many Americans Are Unnecessarily Incarcerated?”, by Derek Gilna
- Surgeon General’s Report: Substance Abuse Continues to Grow in America, by Derek Gilna
- California Damage Suit Improperly Treated as Habeas Petition
- New York Parole Board Repeatedly Held in Contempt; One Case Reversed on Appeal
- Los Angeles County Jail Faces Lawsuit Over Censorship of PLN
- Re-entry Program for Federal Prisoners on Supervised Release Has Low Participation
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- News in Brief
More from Derek Gilna:
- Federal Judge in Louisiana Issues Sweeping Opinion Finding Numerous Eighth Amendment, ADA and RA Violations at Angola, April 1, 2022
- Human Rights Defense Center Prevails in Censorship Lawsuit Against Napa County Jail, California, Sept. 1, 2021
- California State Auditor’s Report Faults Counties for Waste and Poor Oversight of State Funds Used in “Public Safety Realignment”, Sept. 1, 2021
- The Fight Over Cellphones in Prisons Rages On, Sept. 1, 2021
- District Court Extends Armstrong Order to Five Additional California Prisons, Sept. 1, 2021
- HRDC Settles Censorship Lawsuit with Johnson County, Kansas Jail for $50,000 and Policy Changes, Aug. 1, 2021
- Virginia Prosecutors to Dismiss 400 Drug Convictions Tied to Disgraced Cop, July 15, 2021
- Discredited New York Police Detective’s False Testimony Causes the Dismissal of Close to 100 Drug Convictions, June 15, 2021
- D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences Firearms Examination Unit Under Fire, April 15, 2021
- Mississippi Joins Illinois and Few Other States Prioritizing Vaccination of State Prisoners to Slow Spread of COVID-19, April 1, 2021
More from these topics:
- $5.4 Million Jury Verdict Against Riverside County in Suit Over Jail Fentanyl Death, Sept. 1, 2026. Failure to Treat, Drug Overdose, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Monell Liability, Deliberate Indifference.
- Report Highlights Repeated Overdoses at Florida County Jail, Sept. 1, 2026. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Contractor Misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Drug Overdose.
- Rising Deaths in Los Angeles County Jail Linked to Longer Stays, Sept. 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Drug Overdose, Statistics/Trends, Suicides, Reduction of Prison Population.
- New York City Reaches Settlements Totaling Nearly $5.2 Million with Estates of Two Fatal Methadone Overdose Victims Detained on Rikers Island, June 1, 2026. Failure to Treat, Drug Overdose, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
- Washington State Supreme Court Ruling Supports Broad Immunity in Overdose Cases, June 1, 2026. Drug Overdose, Failure to Protect (General), Defenses, Immunity/Liability, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death).
- “Like the Walking Dead”: Smuggled Drugs Fuel Chaos Inside Ohio Prisons, May 1, 2026. Contractor Misconduct, Guard Misconduct, Drug Overdose, Security Systems, Drugs - Determination of.
- Faced with Record-Breaking Jail Deaths, L.A. County Supervisors Tell Sheriff’s Department to Improve Access to Naloxone, Camera Monitoring, and Security Checks at California Jail, May 1, 2026. Drug Overdose, Overcrowding, Sanitation, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness).
- Negligence, Lack of Training at Ohio’s Cuyahoga County Jail Led to String of Deaths, May 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Drug Overdose, Jail Specific, Failure to Train/Supervise, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- The Systematic Terror of Rankin County’s “Goon Squad”, May 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, War on Drugs, Guard Brutality/Beatings.
- Wisconsin’s Incarcerated Population Has More Access to Opioid Treatment, But Still Missing in Eight County Jails, April 1, 2026. Medication, Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Drug Treatment/Rehab, Health care.

