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Westboro Baptist Church Members Continue to Work in Corrections
by Matt Clarke
Fred W. Phelps, Sr., 85, was widely known as the founder and leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas – a cult-like group that practices hate speech at the most inappropriate venues, including funerals for soldiers killed in combat. The church, which has …
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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 Matthew Clarke:
- Dissenter Excoriates SCOTUS for Denying Certiorari in Challenge to Constitutionality of Nitrogen Hypoxia Execution, Feb. 1, 2026
- D.C. Federal Court Holds Blocking Prison Reform Advocate’s Access to Federal Prisoners May Violate First Amendment and Due Process, Feb. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Holds Estate Cannot Sue Jailers Who Followed Medical Personnel Advice That Led to Detainee’s Death, Feb. 1, 2026
- Sixth Circuit Reinstates Lawsuit Over Failure to Properly Classify Violent Prisoners at Kentucky Jail, Feb. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Holds Alabama County May Be Liable for Policy of Providing Inadequate Jail Medical Care, Feb. 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Reverses Summary Dismissal of Claim Over Prisoner’s Suicide in Oklahoma Jail, Feb. 1, 2026
- Deportation of Kenyan Priest Working as Texas Prison Guard Highlights TDCJ’s Dependence on Immigrant Staff, Feb. 1, 2026
- Ninth Circuit Reinstates Wheelchair-Bound Washington State Prisoner’s Suit Over Failure to Accommodate Disabilities During Transport, Feb. 1, 2026
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Adoption of Transferred Intent Self-Defense, Jan. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Six Female Alabama Jail Detainees’ Sexual Assault Suit, Jan. 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- New Hampshire Prison System Struggles to Hire Guards, Feb. 1, 2026. Staffing, Lockdowns, Guards/Staff.
- Deportation of Kenyan Priest Working as Texas Prison Guard Highlights TDCJ’s Dependence on Immigrant Staff, Feb. 1, 2026. Staffing, Exposure to Heat, Guards/Staff, Deportation/Removal/Exclusion, Detention - Generally.
- Brooklyn Jail Guard Convicted for Shooting and Car Chase, Dec. 1, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Shootings, Guards/Staff, Wrongful Use of Force, Authority and Jurisdiction.
- Body-Worn Camera Program for Guards Expands to all Maryland Prisons, Nov. 1, 2025. Videotaping, Security Systems, Guards/Staff, Staff Training, State Legislation.
- BOP Cancels Union Rights for Prison Guards, Nov. 1, 2025. Overcrowding, Staffing, Guards/Staff, Guard Unions, Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
- Help Wanted: 31,000 Prison Guard Jobs Open Nationwide, Sept. 1, 2025. Conditions of Confinement, Failure to Protect (General), Staffing, Exercise, Lockdowns, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Guards/Staff, Staff Training.
- Former Maine Prison Guard Arrested and Detained by ICE Agents, Aug. 1, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Guards/Staff, Immigration Law/Offenses.
- New York City Loses Bid to Withhold Jail Records, July 15, 2025. Attorneys, Public Records Act.
- Watchdogs Fault Nebraska Prisons for Suicide Response, Overpaid Staff, June 1, 2025. Suicides, Guards/Staff, Staff Training.
- Top Rikers Island Jailers Logged Overtime Equal to 14-Hour Days With No Days Off, June 1, 2025. Guards/Staff, News.

