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Michigan: $40,000 Settlement for Parole Violation Sanctions Absent Due Process
by David M. Reutter
A $40,000 settlement was reached in a lawsuit alleging the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) deprived a parolee of his liberty without due process or an opportunity to properly waive his rights.
In his pro se complaint, Scott Andrew Witzke alleged that MDOC …
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
- Former Prisoner Becomes California Coffee Entrepreneur, by Scott Grammer
- Motions to Dismiss by Corizon and Wexford Denied in Lawsuit Over Florida Prisoner’s Double Leg Amputation, by Matthew Clarke
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Texas Prisoner’s Excessive Force Claims, by Matthew Clarke
- Michigan: Settlement in Class-Action Suit by Prisoners with Hearing Disabilities, by Douglas Ankney
- Montana Parolee Sues CoreCivic Over Prison Assault, Brain Injury, by Matthew Clarke
- Sheriff, Undersheriff and Deputies Resign Over Safety Issues at Oklahoma Jail, by Matthew Clarke
- Texas Prisoner Sues Former Guards for Planting Screwdrivers in His Cell, by Matthew Clarke
- $3 Million Settlement Where Prison Doctor Failed to Treat Disabled Illinois Prisoner, by Scott Grammer
- Florida: No Qualified Immunity for Jail Medical Staff in Prisoner’s Death, by David M. Reutter
- Texas Prisoner’s Lawsuit Over Reaction to Prison Blankets Moves Forward, by Matthew Clarke
- Federal Government Pays Nation of Islam to Teach BOP Prisoners
- Florida Prisons and Jails Retaliate Against Prisoners Who File Lawsuits by Countersuing for Costs of Incarceration, by Dale Chappell
- Study Finds More Private Prisons Result in Judges Imposing Slightly Longer Sentences, by Matthew Clarke
- New Jersey Federal Court Approves $1.5 Million Jail Strip-Search Settlement, by Dale Chappell
- Minnesota Prisoners Win Access to New Hepatitis C Medications
- Maine: Prosecutorial Misconduct in False Rape Case Results in $2.1 Million in Damages, by Chad Marks
- Michigan Prisoner Dies from Cocaine Overdose, Sergeant and Paramedics Charged, $3.75 Million Settlement, by Scott Grammer
- Texas Bans All Clergy from Death Chamber after Supreme Court Stays Execution, by Matthew Clarke
- Arrestee Dies in a Jail with No Medical Staff; Eleventh Circuit Reverses Dismissal, by Edward Lyon
- Scammers Deprive Prisoners with Legitimate Substance Abuse Problems of BOP Drug Treatment, by Douglas Ankney
- New Bill Restricts Use of Solitary Confinement in New Mexico, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Interim Attorney Fees Awarded in Kentucky Good Time Lawsuit, by David M. Reutter
- More States on Track to Restore Voting Rights to Felons, but Not Without Hurdles, by Dale Chappell
- Mentally Ill Texas Woman “Ignored to Death” After Five Months in Jail, by Matthew Clarke
- Pennsylvania Prisoners’ Cigarette Stashes to Go Up in Smoke, by Douglas Ankney
- Monterey County, California Pays $365,000 for Jail Prisoner’s Death, by Douglas Ankney
- Former Louisiana Warden Nate Cain, Son of Infamous Burl Cain, Pleads Guilty, by David M. Reutter
- Minnesota Sheriff Hit with Attorney Fees Award in Civil Rights Case, by Derek Gilna
- End of Gubernatorial Terms Bring Pardons, Commutations, by David M. Reutter
- Federal Judge Holds Bivens Not Applicable to Prison Workplace Discrimination Claims, by Dale Chappell
- Michigan: $40,000 Settlement for Parole Violation Sanctions Absent Due Process, by David M. Reutter
- Eighth Circuit Reinstates Iowa Prisoner’s Retaliation Claims, by Matthew Clarke
- Mississippi Prison Industry Program Faltering, CEO Fired, by David M. Reutter
- Nevada: Jail Death Due to Excessive Force Leads to $175,000 in Settlements, by Dale Chappell
- Ninth Circuit Issues Ruling on Arizona DOC Stipulated Settlement, by David M. Reutter
- California: Denial of Bed During Jail Disturbances Not a Constitutional Violation, by David M. Reutter
- $115,000 Settlement after Nebraska Prison Nurses Ignore Prisoner’s Heart Attack, by Edward Lyon
- Tennessee: Federal Court Grants Class-Action Status in Shareholder Suit Against CoreCivic, by Matthew Clarke
- Fifth Circuit Holds Transgender Prisoner Not Entitled to Sex Reassignment Surgery, by Matthew Clarke
- Native American Prisoners Win Lawsuit Over Right to Wear Long Hair, by Matthew Clarke
- “Game of Kings” Has Large Following, Long History Behind Bars, by Matthew Clarke
- 17 Indicted in SC Prison Smuggling Ring, by Scott Grammer
- D.C. Court Awards $501 Million in Suit Against North Korea for Torture-Death of Prisoner, by Matthew Clarke
- Fourth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of South Carolina Prisoner’s Suit Over Safekeeper Status, by David M. Reutter
- Some Prisons Are Using Virtual Reality for Reentry and Other Programs, by Matthew Clarke
- New Study Finds Mass Incarceration Impacts Over Half of U.S. Families, by Steve Horn
- South Carolina Fails to Evacuate Prisoners Threatened by Hurricane, by Matthew Clarke
- New York Sheriff Loses Lawsuit, Must Report Serious Prisoner Incidents to State Agency, by Chad Marks
- South Carolina: Two Women Drown in Sheriff’s Transport Van, Deputies Charged, by Scott Grammer
- New Mexico Riot Raises Questions About Private Prison Company’s Competence, by Kevin W. Bliss
- New Indianapolis Jail Will Not be Run by a Private Prison Company, but is Being Built on Contaminated Land, by Kevin W. Bliss
- GEO Group Produces Litigation Documents After HRDC Files Public Records Suit, by Christopher Zoukis
- Imagine Pleading Guilty Because You Can’t Afford to Call Your Lawyer, by Victoria Law
- Canada: Long-Term Segregation of Mentally Ill Prisoners Unconstitutional; $20 Million in Damages, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Federal Court Rules in Favor of HRDC in Virginia Jail Censorship Suit
- Settlement Reached in Suit Over Failure to Keep Released L.A. County Prisoners from Becoming Homeless, by Scott Grammer
- “I Had Nothing”: How Parole Perpetuates a Cycle of Incarceration and Instability, by Raven Rakia
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Sixth Circuit Rules Suit May Proceed Where State Judge Offered Reduced Sentences for Sterilization, by Douglas Ankney
- The Second Step: Invest in Prison Education Programs, Reinstate Pell Grants, by Christopher Zoukis
More from David M. Reutter:
- Louisiana Supreme Court Declares Unconstitutional Statute Stripping Courts of Authority to Order Payment of Indigent Defense Expert Funds, Holding the Law Infringes on Judiciary’s Constitutionally Granted Jurisdiction Over Felony Cases, July 1, 2026
- Oregon Supreme Court: Jail Credit Statute Focuses Upon Legal Custody Not Physical Custody Location, July 1, 2026
- Supreme Court of Maryland Holds Officer Lacked Reasonable Suspicion for Traffic Stop Based on Acquaintance’s Tip Reporting Innocent Conduct, Reaffirming That “High-Crime Area” Testimony Must Be Particularized, July 1, 2026
- Oregon Supreme Court Announces Witness Competency Under OEC 601 Depends on General Capacity to Be a Witness, Not Ability to Recall a Specific Fact, July 1, 2026
- Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Heightened Voluntariness Inquiry Required for Contingent Guilty Pleas and Holds Plea Withdrawal Is the Proper Remedy When District Court Fails to Probe Coercion Risk, June 1, 2026
- Florida Supreme Court Announces “Results” of Postconviction DNA Testing Under § 925.11 Include Underlying Testing Data Necessary for Expert Analysis, Holding That No Additional Burden Applies Once a Motion for Testing Has Been Granted, June 1, 2026
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Calling Known Recalcitrant Witness Before Jury Constitutes Reversible Error and Prosecutorial Misconduct Regardless of Whether Witness Expressly Invokes Fifth Amendment Privilege, Qualifying Contrary Precedent, June 1, 2026
- First Circuit Vacates Drug Courier’s Sentence, Holding District Court Erred by Failing to Conduct Proper Comparative Culpability Analysis Under § 3B1.2 When It Excluded Other Participants in Drug Shipment From Universe of Comparators, May 1, 2026
- $875,000 Award for Illinois Prisoner’s Delay in Getting Hernia Surgery, June 1, 2025
- California Appellate Court: Custody Credits Must be Applied to Concurrent Terms in Multiple Open Cases, June 1, 2025
More from these topics:
- Louisiana’s Atavistic Approach to Criminal Sentencing and Parole Demonstrates Politicians’ Failure to Learn from Past Mistakes, July 1, 2026. Medical, Conditions of Confinement, Sentencing, Parole, Prisoners' Rights.
- California Appeals Court Sustains Amendments to CDCR that Narrow Youth Parole Eligibility Rules, July 1, 2026. Parole, Equal Protection Clause/Claims, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders, Credits, Prison Regulations.
- $112,500 Paid to Former New Mexico Prisoner Denied Public Records of Excessive Force by Guards, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Settlements, Public Records Act, False Imprisonment.
- Settlement Reached in Mental Health Care Class-Action at San Diego County Jails, June 1, 2026. Settlements, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Class Actions, Administrative Detention/Segregation, Inadequate Health Care Facilities.
- Pepper Spraying Incident Prompts Policy Change at Washington Women’s Prison, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Settlements, Staff Training, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- Sixth Circuit Rules Prisoner Held After Parole Board Ordered Release on Parole Could Not State a Rights Violation Claim, June 1, 2026. Parole, Overdetention, Qualified Immunity, Fourteenth Amendment, rights, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights.
- Arkansas Supreme Court Bows to Governor’s Board of Correction Takeover, June 1, 2026. Government Misconduct, Cost of Prison Systems, Settlements, State Legislation, Authority and Jurisdiction.
- California Pays $15,000 to State Prisoner Who Claimed He Was Targeted by Guards, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Snitch Jacketing, Failure to Protect (General), Summary Judgment, Settlements.
- 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.
- Massachusetts Settles Lawsuit with Promise to Release Jail Voting Data, April 1, 2026. Voting, Advocacy, Settlements, Voting Rights, Felon Disenfranchisement Statute.

