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Surprise Shutdown of Maine Prison Leads to Controversy, Court Order
by Christopher Zoukis
In a sudden move that local residents called a “Gestapo tactic,” Maine Governor Paul LePage ordered the closure of a small prison in rural Washington County. The Downeast Correctional Facility (DCF), with a capacity for up to 148 prisoners, was shuttered at 4:30 a.m. on …
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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 Christopher Zoukis:
- The Contraband Wars Prison authorities target books and mail, miss the goods coming through the staff door, July 1, 2021
- Trump v. Biden on Criminal Justice, Oct. 1, 2020
- Coronavirus in Prison: The Cruel Reality, Aug. 1, 2020
- With Lives of Immigrant Detainees at Risk to COVID-19, Federal Judge Forces ICE’s Hand, July 1, 2020
- A Nation on the Brink, June 15, 2020
- Federal Court Slams Michigan Jail for Bungling COVID-19 Pandemic, Demands Names of Vulnerable Prisoners for Release, June 1, 2020
- Silence: The Bureau of Prisons’ Pathetic Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, June 1, 2020
- New York Judge Orders Release of 18 Rikers Island Detainees Due to COVID-19 Risk, June 1, 2020
- Coronavirus: A Nationwide Survey of the Push for Early Release as Pandemic Fears Grow, May 1, 2020
- California Three-Judge Court Denies Emergency Motion to Reduce Prison Population During Pandemic, May 1, 2020
More from these topics:
- 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.
- What 911 Calls Reveal About Jail Operations, Sept. 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Statistics/Trends, Failure to Protect (General), Staffing, Staff Training.
- California Grand Jury Report on Deaths at Riverside County Jails, Sept. 1, 2026. Jail Misconduct, Corrections Audits, Prison Reform, Statistics/Trends, Public Records.
- Court-Ordered Report on Jail Voting in Massachusetts Finds Low-Rate, Sept. 1, 2026. Elections, Advocacy, Statistics/Trends, Public Records, Voting Rights.
- Michigan DOC Legal Payouts Top $7 Million in FY 2025, Less than One Percent of $2.15 Billion Operating Budget, Sept. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Damages, Settlements.
- Florida Kills Two Prisoners on Same Day, Both Elderly, Sept. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Death Penalty, Death Row, Lethal Injection Method of Execution.
- Severely Ill Prisoners in Hawai‘i Denied Early Release Due to State Policy, Sept. 1, 2026. Cost of Prison Systems, housing, Restrictions, discrimination, Compassionate Release.
- “Safe Inside” Review Paid for by DOJ Found Prisons Grew Much Deadlier in Five Year-Period, Aug. 1, 2026. Work Conditions/Safety, Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Staffing, Assaults on Staff.
- Three Detainees Die in Four Days at the Tarrant County Jail, Aug. 1, 2026. Jail Misconduct, Statistics/Trends, Wrongful Death, Compassionate Release.
- Prison Policy Initiative Updates Its “Money of Mass Incarceration” Report, Aug. 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Forfeiture, Effects of Mass Incarceration, Ability to Pay.

