More from this issue:

1. News in Brief
2. Lawsuit Challenging Phone Kickbacks at Massachusetts Jail Survives Motion to Dismiss
3. Kentucky Prison Guards Settle Sexual Harassment Suit for $1.5 Million, by David M. Reutter
4. Wisconsin State Prison Sergeant Rats Out Prisoner Informants, by Edward Lyon
5. Teachers’ Unions Divest Stock Holdings in Private Prisons, by David Reutter
6. Delaware: Inadequate Medical Care Results in Prisoner’s Death, by Kevin Bliss
7. California State Retirement Systems Split on Decision to Divest 
from Private Prisons, by Scott Grammer
8. Former Rikers Island Prisoner Awarded $500,000 Plus Attorney Fees, by Dale Chappell
9. Colorado: $190,000 Settlement for Prisoners Ordered Released but Kept in Jail for Inability to Pay $55 Fee, by Matthew Clarke
10. Scabies Outbreak at Michigan Women’s Prison Under Corizon Health, by Edward Lyon
11. The Lackawanna County Seven: And Then There Were Five, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
12. Settlement Reached over Visitation, Communication with Prisoners’ Children at Indiana Jail, by Scott Grammer
13. Corizon Health Strikes Out in Arizona, by Edward Lyon
14. Warden Turns Whistleblower, Claims Misconduct, Retaliation by Colorado’s DOC Director, by Dale Chappell
15. New York City Settles Kalief Browder Lawsuit for $3.3 Million, by Matthew Clarke
16. Strip and Body Cavity Searches: Looking for Contraband in all the Wrong Places, by Matthew Clarke
17. Connecticut Sued to End Prison Gerrymandering, by Scott Grammer
18. Securus Files Suit Alleging FDOC Improperly Entered into Prison Phone Contract, by Chad Marks
19. Seventh Circuit Reverses Dismissal in Prison Gang Assault Case, by Edward Lyon
20. New York City Pre-trial Detainees Exposed to Freezing Temperatures at Federal Jail, by Edward Lyon
21. $4.75 Million Settlement for Pennsylvania Teenager’s Withdrawal Death in Jail, by David M. Reutter
22. Middlesex County, New Jersey Settles Solitary Confinement Suit, by Dale Chappell
23. Conflict of Interest in Texas Rangers’ Investigation of Deaths at LaSalle-Operated Jails?, by Matthew Clarke
24. Michigan Prisoner Obtains $2,000 Settlement in Group Strip Search Suit, by Scott Grammer
25. Georgia Pays More Than $3 Million to Settle Prison Medical Negligence Suits, by Kevin W. Bliss
26. Tennessee County Settles Jail Prisoner’s Excessive Use of Force Claim for $160,000, by Douglas Ankney
27. New York: Federal Court Certifies Class-Action Suit Against Jail for Providing Insufficient Diet, by Dale Chappell
28. Women Prisoners Disciplined More than Men, but Staff Training is Changing That, by Dale Chappell
29. New York Muslim Prisoner Wins Injunction to Pray on Recreation Yard
30. Mitigating Factors Counter Government’s Interest in Forced Psychotropic Medication
31. Minnesota Lawmakers Look at Prison Reforms, by Chad Marks
32. New Jersey DOC Settles Sexual Abuse Suit, but More Cases are Pending, by Derek Gilna
33. For Years, Errors in Iowa’s Felon List Have Disenfranchised Eligible Voters, by Matthew Clarke
34. San Bernardino County, California Sheriff’s Office Settles Civil Rights Suit, by Derek Gilna
35. New Mexico Medical Technician Wins $150,000 Jury Award for Abuse by Jailers, by Edward Lyon
36. Nevada: Muslim Prisoner Awarded $39,260 in Damages Plus Attorney’s Fees
37. Arkansas Governor Addresses Prisoners at College Graduation Ceremony, by Scott Grammer
38. 2018 Awards for Activism, Advocacy Against the Private Prison Industry
39. Iowa: Prisoners Entitled to Full Hearing on Termination of Parental Rights, by David Reutter
40. Oregon Prison Industry Program Nets Record $28.5 Million as Prisoners Earn $1.25/Hour, by Mark Wilson
41. $1.1 Million Fee Award in California Prison Segregation Lawsuit
42. Ex-Prisoner Awarded $1.06 Million for Sexual Assault by Former Nebraska Jailer, by Dale Chappell
43. California Jail Settles Class-Action Lawsuit Over Conditions of Confinement, by Derek Gilna
44. Pennsylvania DOC, Mental Health Contractor Settle Wrongful Death Suit for $27,500, by Derek Gilna
45. Texas Prisons, We’ve Got Some Questions About Your Commissary Vendors, by Stephen Raher
46. Alabama DOC Stonewalling Federal Investigation; Eight Prisoners go on Hunger Strike, by Douglas Ankney
47. Georgia: Court Certifies Class Action for Prisoners Held Beyond Their Release Date, by Derek Gilna
48. Wisconsin Prisoner Not Due Credit for Time Spent Free after Erroneous Release, by Scott Grammer
49. Alabama DOC Refuses Muslim Spiritual Adviser in Execution Chamber, by Kevin W. Bliss
50. Ohio: Mandamus Action Moot Where Relief Has Been Granted
51. Class Certification in Missouri Prisoners’ Hepatitis C Suit Upheld
52. Mugshots.com Operators Arrested, Face Extradition to California, by Chad Marks
53. California Prison Psychiatrists Blow Whistle on Poor Mental Healthcare, Falsified Records, by Steve Horn
54. For Journalists Covering Prisons, the First Amendment is Little Help, by Jonathan Peters
55. Study Says Mass Incarceration Contributes to Poverty and Hunger, by Derek Gilna
56. “It Smelled Like Death”: Reports of Mold Contamination in Prisons and Jails, by Panagioti Tsolkas
57. Congressional Report Finds Misconduct by BOP Administrators Often Ignored, by Matthew Clarke
58. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
59. Hawaii Supreme Court: Pretrial Solitary Wrong, but Warden Protected by Qualified Immunity, by Derek Gilna
60. Ohio County Jail Settles PLN Censorship Suit for $45,000, by Steve Horn
61. Incorrigible: The First Step Act and the Carceral State, by Marie Gottschalk

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:

• Ninth Circuit Reinstates Wheelchair-Bound Washington State Prisoner’s Suit Over Failure to Accommodate Disabilities During Transport, Feb. 1, 2026. Transportation, Excessive Force, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, Deliberate Indifference.
• Differing Judicial Outcomes for the New York Guards Who Killed Robert Brooks, Feb. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Pending Appeal/Sentencing.
• The New York Prison System’s Culture of Cruelty and Impunity, Feb. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Racial Discrimination, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death).
• 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.
• Sixth Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity for Michigan Jailer Accused of Retaliatory Assault, Jan. 1, 2026. Retaliation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Qualified Immunity, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
• $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.
• Wisconsin DOC Releases 1,700 Private Health Records by Mistake, Dec. 1, 2025. DOC/BOP misconduct, Medical Records, Mental Health, Visiting, Public Records Act.
• Fifth Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Suit by Civilly Committed Texan, Dec. 1, 2025. Sex Offenders (Discrimination), Conditions of Confinement, Complaints, Grievances, Civil Commitment.