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DOJ Applauds Pennsylvania’s Commitment to Treatment for Mentally Ill Prisoners
by David M. Reutter
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has ended its investigation into the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ (PDOC) use of solitary confinement for prisoners with serious mental illness or intellectual disabilities (SMI/ID).
PLN reported the January 5, 2015 settlement of that investigation after the …
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More from this issue:
- Five Years after Implementation, PREA Standards Remain Inadequate, by Derek Gilna
- Cook County Jail Locked Down on Mother’s Day; Over 200 Workers Absent, by Monte McCoin
- Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case on Jail Booking Fees, by Christopher Zoukis
- Prisoners in Flint, Michigan Lied to About Water Crisis; Lawsuit Settles, by David Reutter
- Michigan Court Forced to End “Pay or Stay” Policy, by David Reutter
- Seventh Circuit Allows Prisoner’s Eighth Amendment Claim to Proceed, by Christopher Zoukis
- Former Utah Jail Commander Pleads Guilty to Misuse of Public Money, by Monte McCoin
- Concern over Use of Prisoners to Clear Homeless Camps in Washington, Oregon, by Lonnie Burton
- Eighth Circuit Reverses Finding of Due Process Violations in Minnesota Civil Commitment Program, by Matthew Clarke
- Georgia Prison Contraband Investigation Nets 130 Arrests, Guilty Pleas, by David Reutter
- Missouri Has Difficulty Retaining Provider for Execution Drugs, by David Reutter
- $6.5 Million to Family of Wash. Diabetic Prisoner Who Died
- Wife of President Trump’s Ethics Attorney Caught Having Sex with Prisoner, by Monte McCoin
- Lawsuit Over 22 Years of Continuous Segregation Reinstated by Second Circuit, by Lonnie Burton
- $100,000 Damages Award in Jail Slip-and-Fall Upheld, by Matthew Clarke
- $250,000 Paid By Virginia Jail to Settle Deaf Prisoner Suit
- Obama Publishes Commentary on Criminal Justice Reform in Harvard Law Review, by Christopher Zoukis
- Fourth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Deaf Prisoner’s Civil Rights Claim, by Derek Gilna
- Oregon Prison Guard Freed on Sex Charge, Victim Detained as Material Witness
- $1.2 Million to Settle with Rikers Island Rape Victims, by Derek Gilna
- Former Sheriff Arpaio Guilty of Criminal Contempt, Receives Presidential Pardon, by Joe Watson
- Nevada Supreme Court Holds Habeas Petition Not Mooted by End of Sentence
- Westboro Baptist Church Members Continue to Work in Corrections, by Matthew Clarke
- Colorado Narrowly Rejects Ballot Measure to End Slavery as Punishment for Crime, by Matthew Clarke
- Community Funds, Federal Legislation Challenging Bail System from Different Angles, by Christopher Zoukis
- Lawsuit Alleges Four Oregon Prisons Served Food “Not for Human Consumption”, by Monte McCoin
- DOJ Applauds Pennsylvania’s Commitment to Treatment for Mentally Ill Prisoners, by David Reutter
- The Elusive Dream: Closing Rikers Island, by David Reutter, Matthew Clarke
- Washington Supreme Court Reverses Prisoner’s Parental Termination Order, by Lonnie Burton
- Wiccan Prisoner Wins Injunction to Wear Medallion; Case Settles on Remand, by David Reutter
- Michigan Sheriff Settles PLN Censorship Suit for $295,000, by Derek Gilna
- Alabama DOC: Partial Settlement on ADA, Mental Health Claims; $1 Million in Attorney Fees Awarded, by David Reutter
- Florida Prisoners Denied Hernia Surgery Reach $2.1 Million Settlement, by David Reutter
- Arrested Texas Jail Nurse Refused to Test Blood Sugar of Prisoner Who Died, by Matthew Clarke
- Tenth Circuit Holds Jail Guard May be Liable for Prisoner-on-Prisoner Assault
- President of New York City Guards’ Union Faces Corruption Charges, by David Reutter
- Federal Halfway House Closures Threaten to Extend Prison Time, Delay Reentry, by Derek Gilna
- Reform of Florida’s Criminal Justice Laws Urged, by David Reutter
- Climate Refugees in Toxic Immigrant Jails Are Victims of Environmental Racism, by Candice Bernd
- Fatal Tasering at North Carolina Jail Results in $350,000 Settlement, Investigation
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- $285,000 Settlement in Wrongful Death Suit Against Ohio Jail
- Global Tel*Link Fails to Derail Prison Phone Suit but Dodges Class Certification, by Derek Gilna
- News in Brief
More from David Reutter:
- 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
- Fourth Circuit Revives Deliberate Indifference Claim for Baltimore Detainee Served Rotten Food, March 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit Clarifies Revocation Appeal Provides “Procedurally Appropriate Mechanism” for Raising Rogers Challenge to Unannounced Supervised Release Conditions, Vacates Revocation Judgment Based on Null Standard Conditions, March 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit: District Court Erred in Dismissing BOP Prisoner’s Medical Claim, Finds Prison Officials Made Administrative Remedies Unavailable, March 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Affirmed Denial of Guards Qualified Immunity in Disabled Detainee’s Fourteenth Amendment Claim, March 1, 2026
- The Malleable Mind in the Courtroom: Why Confident Eyewitnesses Often Provide the Least Reliable Evidence, Oct. 15, 2025
More from these topics:
- Class Certification Granted to Suit Challenging Suspension of HALT Act in New York Prisons, April 1, 2026. Injunctions, Class Certification, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Guard Unions, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- D.C. Judge Blocks Transfer of Biden-Commuted Federal Death Row Prisoners to “Supermax,” Citing Lack of Meaningful Due Process, April 1, 2026. Transfers, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Fifth Amendment, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Prison Classification.
- New York City Mayor Appoints Ex-Rikers Prisoner as Corrections Commissioner, March 1, 2026. Prison Reform, Staffing, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Guard Unions, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- 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.
- New York Governor Pulls Plug on Prison Watchdog Funding, March 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Prison Reform, Conditions of Confinement, Guards/Staff, State Legislation.
- Utah Pushes for Additional $130 Million to Expand Prison that Cost $1 Billion, March 1, 2026. Cost of Prison Systems, Conditions of Confinement, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), State Legislation, Reduction of Prison Population.
- Three Prisoners Killed in Fight at Georgia Prison, Feb. 1, 2026. Prison/Jail Murders, Totality of Conditions, Failure to Protect (General), Eighth Amendment, Staffing.
- After Exposing Prison Horrors, Incarcerated Whistleblowers Are Moved to Solitary, Feb. 1, 2026. Whistleblowing, Retaliatory Segregation, Work Strikes, Totality of Conditions, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement.
- 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.

