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Exonerated Prisoner Invests Portion of $20 Million Settlement to Start Barber School
by Derek Gilna
No one appreciates the challenges of re-entering society like a former prisoner, especially one who was wrongfully convicted.
For exonerated ex-prisoner Juan Rivera of Illinois, his experiences led him to invest some of his multi-million dollar wrongful conviction settlement into training low-income students at …
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More from this issue:
- Louisiana Sex Offender Restrictions, Harsh Laws Prolong Prison Sentences
- Defense Investigator Jailed for Initially Refusing to Testify in Death Penalty Case, by Matthew Clarke
- Pennsylvania: Allegheny County Jail Settles Sexual Assault Claim for $32,000
- Dog-Sniff Search Policy Allowed Under Massachusetts Law, but APA Procedures Required
- BOP’s Violation of Alcohol Policy Ends in Expungement, Reversal of Disciplinary Sanctions, by Dale Chappell
- Over-Incarceration a Worldwide Problem, Report Finds, by Derek Gilna
- Prisoner Can Face Discipline Yet Still Sue Guard for Excessive Force Under Heck
- Mississippi: Former Jailer Acquitted of Criminal Charges in Prisoner’s Death, by Kevin Bliss
- Oklahoma County Pays $150,000 to Settle Suit Over Jail Suicide, by Derek Gilna
- Class-Action Status Granted in Civil Rights Suit Over Disenfranchised Indiana Jail Prisoners, by Matthew Clarke
- New York’s Prison-to-Shelter Pipeline is Poor Option for Parolees, by Dale Chappell
- Deductions from Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Trust Account Require Notice
- Female Texas Prison Guards Allege Sexual Harassment, Abuse, Discrimination, by Edward Lyon
- Surprise Shutdown of Maine Prison Leads to Controversy, Court Order, by Christopher Zoukis
- Polls Show People Favor Rehabilitation over Incarceration, by Matthew Clarke
- New Mexico Prisoners Suffer and Die Under Privatized Health Care, by Edward Lyon
- Ohio Jail Detainee Receives $500,000 Settlement for Assault by Guard
- Maryland Adopts Prison Mailbox Rule for Post-Conviction Petitions
- $7,500 Settlement in Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Suicide
- San Diego County Targets Reporter Who Exposed Sky-High Jail Death Rate, by Dale Chappell
- Litigation Surrounding Radon Exposure at Connecticut Prison Moves Forward, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- #MeToo Movement, Misconduct Claims Impact Federal and State Judges, by Edward Lyon
- Magistrate Judge Must Have Jurisdiction Prior to Entering Final Judgment
- Maricopa County, Phoenix Settle Lawsuit Over Mentally Ill Prisoner’s Death for $7.25 Million, by Matthew Clarke
- Arkansas DOC Says Water is Safe, but Most Tests Not Conducted in Housing Units, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- Texas Prison Officials Demoted, Fired after Disciplinary Quota System and Planted Contraband Exposed
- States Implementing New Technology to Fight Contraband Smuggling Via Drone, by Monte McCoin
- $7 Million Settlement for Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Suicide at Private Prison
- More Legal Cases Involving Transgender Prisoners in Multiple States, by Christopher Zoukis
- Fourth Circuit: Failure to Transfer Mentally Ill Prisoner to Hospital Not Actionable
- Fighting the Fees that Force Prisoners to Pay for Their Incarceration, by Jean Trounstine
- Ninth Circuit: Prisoner’s Disciplinary Appeal Exhausted Claim of Having to Work on Religious Holiday, by Christopher Zoukis
- California Prisoners Seek to Enforce Settlement Provisions in Ashker Litigation, by Kevin Bliss
- The Secret World of Missouri DOC Internal Death Investigations, by Kevin Bliss
- Why Prison Reform is Not Enough to Fix the U.S. Criminal Justice System, by Ed Chung
- Aramark Gets Pennsylvania DOC Food Procurement Contract
- California Muslim Prisoner Defeats Summary Judgment Order in Mixed Appellate Ruling, by Edward Lyon
- CCS Seeks to Hide Internal Review in Jail Detainee’s Death; $180,000 Settlement, by David Reutter, R. Bailey
- Alaska Supreme Court Reverses Disciplinary Case Where Prisoner Not Allowed to Call Witnesses, by Matthew Clarke, David Reutter
- Contraband Found in Prisoner’s Rectum Supports Conviction, by David Reutter
- Federal District Court Holds Ohio Prison Cannot Cut Rastafarian Prisoner’s Hair, by Matthew Clarke
- HRDC Sues Oklahoma County Jail for Censoring Books, by Steve Horn
- Exonerated Prisoner Invests Portion of $20 Million Settlement to Start Barber School, by Derek Gilna
- Death Sentences and Executions Ebbing in the “Capital of Capital Punishment”, by Edward Lyon
- Denver Pays $100,000 to Settle DOJ Suit Over Failure to Accommodate Diabetic Deputy, by Matthew Clarke
- Washington: Jail Detainee Obtains $1 Million Settlement for Spinal Injury, by Steve Horn
- Public Outcry Forces Florida DOC to Back Down on Limits to In-Person Visitation, by David Reutter
- Podcast Produced by Wisconsin Prisoner Tackles Criminal Justice Topics, by Steve Horn
- Justice Sotomayor Slams Solitary Confinement, but Supreme Court Declines to Accept Colorado Solitary Case, by Derek Gilna
- Arkansas: $21,000 Settlement in Jail Release Debit Card Class-Action Suit, by Derek Gilna
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- News in Brief
- On the Inside: The Chaos of Arizona Prison Health Care, by Jimmy Jenkins
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:
- ACLU Threatens New Lawsuit After Indiana County’s Repeated Failures to Abide by 17-Year-Old Settlement Agreement, May 1, 2026. Overcrowding, Exercise, Sanitation, Bedding, Settlements.
- Exonerated Texas Prisoner Entitled to $1.68 Million After 22 Years of Wrongful Incarceration, May 1, 2026. Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Actual Innocence/Claim of Innocence, Failure to Consult/Investigate/Raise, Expert and Opinion Testimony.
- Massachusetts Settles Lawsuit with Promise to Release Jail Voting Data, April 1, 2026. Voting, Advocacy, Settlements, Voting Rights, Felon Disenfranchisement Statute.
- Virginia Jail Suicide Results in $950,000 Settlement, Claims Against Wellpath still Pending, April 1, 2026. Private Contractors, Medical Records, Settlements, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Suicides.
- $300,000 Class-Action Settlement at California Jail Includes Policy Changes; Agreements with Aramark and Wellpath Reached Confidentially, March 1, 2026. Food, Sanitation, Settlements, Class Certification, Monell Liability.
- South Dakota Sobriety Program Participants Will No Longer Be Jailed for Non-Payment of Fees, March 1, 2026. Settlements, Class Certification, Fourteenth Amendment, rights, Unlawful Detention, Ability to Pay.
- Exonerated Former Prisoner Wins Election for Chief Record Keeper in New Orleans, Jan. 1, 2026. Prisoner Legal Assistance, Juries, Public Records, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment.
- $4,652 for Jewish Nevada Prisoner Denied Passover Meal, Jan. 1, 2026. Religious Discrimination, Food, Settlements, First Amendment, rights, Dismissal.
- HRDC Sues New Mexico County for Violating 10-Year-Old Settlement of Censorship Suit, Jan. 1, 2026. Settlements, Publications/Books, Due Process, Censorship, First Amendment.
- Chicago Pays Exonerated Prisoners $7.5 Million, Bringing Total to $33.75 Million for Wrongful Convictions, Jan. 1, 2026. Wrongful Conviction, Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Fabrication of Evidence, Withholding of Exculpatory Evidence, Withdrawal.

