More from this issue:

1. News in Brief
2. California County Jail, Private Medical Provider to Pay $825,000 for Prisoner’s Death, by Chad Marks
3. $100,000 Withheld from Washington Jail for Failure to Fully Implement Ban on Juvenile Solitary Confinement, by Chad Marks
4. Kentucky Jail Rents Texting Devices to Prisoners, by Scott Grammer
5. Cook County Commissioners Approve $1.5 Million Settlement for Jail Beating, by Chad Marks
6. Tennessee Adopts Alternative Sentencing for Primary Caregivers of Minor Children, by Edward Lyon
7. Oklahoma County Settles Lawsuit Over Jail Prisoner’s Suicide for $350,000, by Matthew Clarke
8. Former BOP Official Pays $50,000 to Settle Anti-Kickback Claims, by Scott Grammer
9. $500,000 Settlement in Lawsuit Over Alcohol Withdrawal Death of Indiana Jail Prisoner, by Matthew Clarke
10. President Trump Pardons Conservative Political Allies, by Douglas Ankney
11. $50,000 for Missouri Jail Prisoner Who Suffered Injuries Caused by Broken Plumbing, by Edward Lyon
12. Ninth Circuit Rejects Lawsuit by California Prisoners Over Exposure to Valley Fever, by Chad Marks
13. Federal Court Caps Attorney Fees in Suit Over Teen Girl Raped in Oklahoma Jail, by Matthew Clarke
14. Tennessee Prisoners File Lawsuit Challenging Video Visitation Policy at County Jail, by Chad Marks
15. Increasing Number of Walkaways from California Early-Release Programs, by Edward Lyon
16. Allegation that Prisoner was Beaten after Guard Outed Him as Sex Offender Stated Eighth Amendment Claim, by Douglas Ankney
17. Thomas Silverstein, America’s Most Isolated Prisoner, Dies at Age 67, by Matthew Clarke
18. Death Rate of Prisoners in Michigan Much Higher than Reported, by Kevin W. Bliss
19. $185,000 Settlement in Beating of Florida Jail Prisoner; Guard Convicted, by David M. Reutter
20. UK Using Facial Recognition Technology on Prison Visitors ... is the U.S. Next?, by Chad Marks
21. Arizona Federal Court Levies Sanctions Against Corizon Health, by Edward Lyon
22. Steep Cost for Sending Hawaii Prisoners to Mainland Facilities
23. Preliminary Settlement in Lawsuit Against JPay Over Prison Video Calls Ending Early, by Scott Grammer
24. Connecticut DOC Settles Calendar Lawsuit for $1,500, Policy Changes
25. Former Florida Senator Now Employed by Private Prison Company He Helped While in the State Senate, by Kevin W. Bliss
26. Build it and They will Come: Officials Claim Spokane, Washington Needs Bigger Jail, by Dale Chappell
27. California Jailer Accused of Raping Detainees to Stand Trial, by Edward Lyon
28. Cops, Guards Beat Mentally Ill Arrestee to Death as Jail Nurse Watches; $5 Million Settlement, by Edward Lyon
29. $100,000 Settlement for Suicide of Mentally Ill Prisoner Repeatedly Raped, by Douglas Ankney
30. $1.1 Million Settlement for Michigan Parole Officer in Sexual Harassment Suit, by David M. Reutter
31. Seventh Circuit Reverses District Court’s Denial of Blind Prisoner’s Request for Counsel, by Douglas Ankney
32. Commander of Guantanamo Bay Military Prison Fired, by Douglas Ankney
33. Tennessee Jail Sexual Assault Lawsuit can Proceed, Federal Court Rules, by David M. Reutter
34. Lawsuit Claims Denial of Medical Care Nearly Killed Prisoner at Colorado Jail, by Matthew Clarke
35. Missouri DOC Costs State Another $600,000 in Sexual Harassment Settlement, by Douglas Ankney
36. New York Appellate Court Holds Names of Prison Guards are Public Records, by Edward Lyon
37. New York: $655,000 Award after State Found 100% Responsible for Prisoner Assault, by Douglas Ankney
38. $30,000 Settlement for Pennsylvania Pretrial Detainee Subjected to Excessive Force, by David M. Reutter
39. Pennsylvania County Pays $1.1 Million to Former Prisoner Beaten by Guards, by Chad Marks
40. Mexican Mafia Crime Ring Busted in Los Angeles, San Bernardino County Jails, by Scott Grammer
41. After Needless Prisoner Deaths, Connecticut DOC Takes Over Prison Healthcare, by Matthew Clarke
42. Washington: Prisoners’ Complaints Lead to Changes in DOC’s Drug Testing Policy, by Chad Marks
43. Mumia Abu-Jamal to Receive New Appellate Hearing, by David M. Reutter
44. $60,000 Settlement for Female Pennsylvania Prisoner in Sexual Assault Suit, by David M. Reutter
45. $118,000 Attorney Fee Award in Pennsylvania DOC Public Records Case, by David M. Reutter
46. Correlation Between Dyslexia and Criminal Behavior; First Step Act to Require Screening, Treatment, by Douglas Ankney
47. New Jersey Jail to Pay $1.2 Million for Strip Searching Detainees, by Kevin W. Bliss
48. Final Settlement Entered in 1976 Class-Action Suit Against Florida Jail, by Scott Grammer
49. Iowa Prisoners Say Law Banning Publications Containing Nudity Too Broad, by Kevin W. Bliss
50. Should Private Companies Exploit Prisoners Through Exclusive Government Contracts?, by Dale Chappell
51. Arizona DOC Bans Book Critical of Justice System, Reverses Decision Following Criticism, by Anthony W. Accurso
52. Lawsuit Proceeds Over Death of Prisoner at Privately-Run Jail, by Scott Grammer
53. Habeas Petition Granted Over Failing Roof, Unsanitary Conditions at California Prison, by Matthew Clarke
54. New York County Pays $35,000 to Settle Retaliation Claim Against Sheriff, by Dale Chappell
55. New California Law Bans Male Prison Guards from Pat-Searching Female Prisoners, by Scott Grammer
56. Report Shows How Private Equity Firms Profit from Mass Incarceration, by Dale Chappell
57. $2 Million Awarded to New Mexico Prisoner Left in Hot Transport Van, by Edward Lyon
58. Missouri County Agrees to $60,000 Settlement in Wrongful Death Case, by Kevin Bliss
59. Problems with Ion Scanners Used to Detect Drugs on Prison Visitors, by Edward Lyon
60. Illinois Prison Phone Rates are Lowest Following Grassroots Activism, by Brian Dolinar
61. Kentucky Corrections, Parole Officials Fired, by Edward Lyon
62. CoreCivic Prisons in Tennessee Have Twice as Many Murders, Four Times the Homicide Rate as State-Run Facilities
63. $30,000 Settlement in Pennsylvania Jail Excessive Strip Search Suit, by David M. Reutter
64. Cook County Sheriff’s Office Pays $110,000 to Settle PLN Censorship Suit
65. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
66. Force-Feeding is Cruel, Painful and Degrading – and American Prisons Won’t Stop, by Aviva Stahl

More from Douglas Ankney:

• California Appeals Court Sustains Amendments to CDCR that Narrow Youth Parole Eligibility Rules, July 1, 2026
• Eighth Circuit Revives § 1983 Complaint Alleging Jail Detainees’ Death from Stroke was Due to Deliberate Indifference and Failure to Train, July 1, 2026
• California Court of Appeal Announces Defendants Who Exercise Right to Jury Trial on Aggravating Circumstances Are Entitled to Closing Argument by Counsel on Those Factors, July 1, 2026
• SCOTUS Holds Federal Habeas Court May Not Consider Post-Trial DNA Evidence That Was Never Presented to Jury When Assessing Whether False Informant Testimony Influenced Verdict, July 1, 2026
• Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Announces Six-Factor Test for Evaluating Presentence Motions to Withdraw Guilty Pleas Under Rule 32(e), Holds Binding Plea Agreement Does Not Extinguish Defendant’s Ability to Seek Withdrawal, July 1, 2026
• New Jersey Lawmakers Pass “Female Incarcerated Person’s Rights Protection Act”, July 1, 2026
• Louisiana’s Atavistic Approach to Criminal Sentencing and Parole Demonstrates Politicians’ Failure to Learn from Past Mistakes, July 1, 2026
• California Supreme Court Announces Amended § 1170(b) Applies Retroactively to Plea-Bargained Upper Term Sentences, July 1, 2026
• Michigan Supreme Court Announces Betts Decision Invalidating 2011 SORA as Ex Post Facto Punishment Applies Retroactively to Defendants on Collateral Review, July 1, 2026
• South Carolina Supreme Court Announces Formal Adoption of Fourth Circuit’s Three-Step Cheek Framework for Evaluating Improper Third-Party Contacts With Jurors Under Remmer, Reverses Murdaugh Murder Convictions, and Overrules Ethier Regarding Juror Testim, July 1, 2026

More from these topics:

• Wisconsin State Prison Population Approaches Record High, July 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Overcrowding, Staffing, Pardons/Clemency, Reduction of Prison Population.
• Wisconsin Governor Issues Executive Order to Restore Commutations, June 1, 2026. Prison Reform, Criminal justice system reform, Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Pardons/Clemency, Reduction of Prison Population.
• Federal Death Row Prisoners Granted Clemency by Biden Are Facing Retaliation by Trump, Feb. 1, 2026. Transfers, Pardons/Clemency, Death Row, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Confinement in Segregated Housing.
• Eighth Circuit Announces Presidential Commutation Does Not Moot Challenge to Underlying Sentence, Jan. 1, 2026. Pardons/Clemency, First Step Act, Qualifying Offenses, Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Authority and Jurisdiction.
• Oklahoma Prisoner Found Unconscious in Cell Hours After Avoiding Execution, Dec. 1, 2025. Public Defenders, Pardons/Clemency, Life without Parole (LWOP), Death Penalty, Effective Assistance of Counsel.
• Missouri Blocks Spiritual Advisors from Prison Pastor’s Execution, Nov. 1, 2025. Pardons/Clemency, Death Penalty, Lethal Injection Method of Execution, Religious Freedom/Worship, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
• SCOTUS Overturns Oklahoma Prisoner’s Death Sentence After More than 25 Years on Death Row, Nov. 1, 2025. Ex Post Facto, Good Time, Wrongful Conviction, Habeas Corpus, Wrongful Imprisonment, Pardons/Clemency, First Step Act, Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (CAFRA), Specific Offenses, Controlled Substances, Weapons, Accuracy of Information, Depraved Indifference Murder, Evidence - Circumstantial, Theft, Failure to Disclose, Perjury/Perjured Testimony, Evidence - Failure to Disclose, New Trial - Motions for, Pleas Linked to Cooperation, Evidence - Destruction/Fabrication/Manipulation of, Selective Prosecution/Enforcement, Improper Comments, Official Report, Withholding of Exculpatory Evidence, Exculpatory Evidence - Disclosure Obligations.
• Former Prisoner Informant Appointed Deputy Director of BOP, July 15, 2025. Prison Reform, Criminal justice system reform, Informants, War on Drugs, Pardons/Clemency, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Trading Guns for Drugs.
• Trump Pardons Virginia Sheriff Convicted 
of a Bribes-for-Badges Scheme, July 15, 2025. Misconduct/Corruption, Pardons/Clemency, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
• Tennessee Board of Parole Spanked for Failing to Make Recommendation to Governor on Prisoner’s Clemency Application, July 15, 2025. Parole Board Misconduct, Pardons/Clemency, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, Release Decisions.