More from this issue:

1. News in Brief
2. Former Prisoner Becomes California Coffee Entrepreneur, by Scott Grammer
3. Motions to Dismiss by Corizon and Wexford Denied in Lawsuit Over Florida Prisoner’s Double Leg Amputation, by Matthew Clarke
4. Fifth Circuit Reinstates Texas Prisoner’s Excessive Force Claims, by Matthew Clarke
5. Michigan: Settlement in Class-Action Suit by Prisoners with Hearing Disabilities, by Douglas Ankney
6. Montana Parolee Sues CoreCivic Over Prison Assault, Brain Injury, by Matthew Clarke
7. Sheriff, Undersheriff and Deputies Resign Over Safety Issues at Oklahoma Jail, by Matthew Clarke
8. Texas Prisoner Sues Former Guards for Planting Screwdrivers in His Cell, by Matthew Clarke
9. $3 Million Settlement Where Prison Doctor Failed to Treat Disabled Illinois Prisoner, by Scott Grammer
10. Florida: No Qualified Immunity for Jail Medical Staff in Prisoner’s Death, by David M. Reutter
11. Texas Prisoner’s Lawsuit Over Reaction to Prison Blankets Moves Forward, by Matthew Clarke
12. Federal Government Pays Nation of Islam to Teach BOP Prisoners
13. Florida Prisons and Jails Retaliate Against Prisoners Who File Lawsuits by Countersuing for Costs of Incarceration, by Dale Chappell
14. Study Finds More Private Prisons Result in Judges Imposing Slightly Longer Sentences, by Matthew Clarke
15. New Jersey Federal Court Approves $1.5 Million Jail Strip-Search Settlement, by Dale Chappell
16. Minnesota Prisoners Win Access to New Hepatitis C Medications
17. Maine: Prosecutorial Misconduct in False Rape Case Results in $2.1 Million in Damages, by Chad Marks
18. Michigan Prisoner Dies from Cocaine Overdose, Sergeant and Paramedics Charged, $3.75 Million Settlement, by Scott Grammer
19. Texas Bans All Clergy from Death Chamber after Supreme Court Stays Execution, by Matthew Clarke
20. Arrestee Dies in a Jail with No Medical Staff; Eleventh Circuit Reverses Dismissal, by Edward Lyon
21. Scammers Deprive Prisoners with Legitimate Substance Abuse Problems of BOP Drug Treatment, by Douglas Ankney
22. New Bill Restricts Use of Solitary Confinement in New Mexico, by Kevin W. Bliss
23. Interim Attorney Fees Awarded in Kentucky Good Time Lawsuit, by David M. Reutter
24. More States on Track to Restore Voting Rights to Felons, but Not Without Hurdles, by Dale Chappell
25. Mentally Ill Texas Woman “Ignored to Death” After Five Months in Jail, by Matthew Clarke
26. Pennsylvania Prisoners’ Cigarette Stashes to Go Up in Smoke, by Douglas Ankney
27. Monterey County, California Pays $365,000 for Jail Prisoner’s Death, by Douglas Ankney
28. Former Louisiana Warden Nate Cain, Son of Infamous Burl Cain, Pleads Guilty, by David M. Reutter
29. Minnesota Sheriff Hit with Attorney Fees Award in Civil Rights Case, by Derek Gilna
30. End of Gubernatorial Terms Bring Pardons, Commutations, by David M. Reutter
31. Federal Judge Holds Bivens Not Applicable to Prison Workplace Discrimination Claims, by Dale Chappell
32. Michigan: $40,000 Settlement for Parole Violation Sanctions Absent Due Process, by David M. Reutter
33. Eighth Circuit Reinstates Iowa Prisoner’s Retaliation Claims, by Matthew Clarke
34. Mississippi Prison Industry Program Faltering, CEO Fired, by David M. Reutter
35. Nevada: Jail Death Due to Excessive Force Leads to $175,000 in Settlements, by Dale Chappell
36. Ninth Circuit Issues Ruling on Arizona DOC Stipulated Settlement, by David M. Reutter
37. California: Denial of Bed During Jail Disturbances Not a Constitutional Violation, by David M. Reutter
38. $115,000 Settlement after Nebraska Prison Nurses Ignore Prisoner’s Heart Attack, by Edward Lyon
39. Tennessee: Federal Court Grants Class-Action Status in Shareholder Suit Against CoreCivic, by Matthew Clarke
40. Fifth Circuit Holds Transgender Prisoner Not Entitled to Sex Reassignment Surgery, by Matthew Clarke
41. Native American Prisoners Win Lawsuit Over Right to Wear Long Hair, by Matthew Clarke
42. “Game of Kings” Has Large Following, Long History Behind Bars, by Matthew Clarke
43. 17 Indicted in SC Prison Smuggling Ring, by Scott Grammer
44. D.C. Court Awards $501 Million in Suit Against North Korea for Torture-Death of Prisoner, by Matthew Clarke
45. Fourth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of South Carolina Prisoner’s Suit Over Safekeeper Status, by David M. Reutter
46. Some Prisons Are Using Virtual Reality for Reentry and Other Programs, by Matthew Clarke
47. New Study Finds Mass Incarceration Impacts Over Half of U.S. Families, by Steve Horn
48. South Carolina Fails to Evacuate Prisoners Threatened by Hurricane, by Matthew Clarke
49. New York Sheriff Loses Lawsuit, Must Report Serious Prisoner Incidents to State Agency, by Chad Marks
50. South Carolina: Two Women Drown in Sheriff’s Transport Van, Deputies Charged, by Scott Grammer
51. New Mexico Riot Raises Questions About Private Prison Company’s Competence, by Kevin W. Bliss
52. New Indianapolis Jail Will Not be Run by a Private Prison Company, but is Being Built on Contaminated Land, by Kevin W. Bliss
53. GEO Group Produces Litigation Documents After HRDC Files Public Records Suit, by Christopher Zoukis
54. Imagine Pleading Guilty Because You Can’t Afford to Call Your Lawyer, by Victoria Law
55. Canada: Long-Term Segregation of Mentally Ill Prisoners Unconstitutional; $20 Million in Damages, by Kevin W. Bliss
56. Federal Court Rules in Favor of HRDC in Virginia Jail Censorship Suit
57. Settlement Reached in Suit Over Failure to Keep Released L.A. County Prisoners from Becoming Homeless, by Scott Grammer
58. “I Had Nothing”: How Parole Perpetuates a Cycle of Incarceration and Instability, by Raven Rakia
59. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
60. Sixth Circuit Rules Suit May Proceed Where State Judge Offered Reduced Sentences for Sterilization, by Douglas Ankney
61. The Second Step: Invest in Prison Education Programs, Reinstate Pell Grants, by Christopher Zoukis

More from Douglas Ankney:

• Pregnant Women Detained in Jail: The Hideous Story of In-Custody Births, May 1, 2026
• Idaho DOC Director Denies Verified Report of Rampant Sexual Abuse of Women Prisoners by Staff, May 1, 2026
• Illinois Jail Reprimanded for Denying Detainees Mail Based on Media Content, P.O. Box Return Address, Settles Detainees’ Suit with $111,825 Payment of Legal Fees, May 1, 2026
• Oklahoma Supreme Court: Jail Trust Cannot Withhold Requested Records under Law Enforcement Exemption of ORA, May 1, 2026
• Tenth Circuit Holds Prior California Child Pornography Conviction Does Not Trigger Federal Mandatory Minimum Because State Statute Encompasses Conduct Beyond Federal Definition Under Categorical Approach, April 1, 2026
• Kentucky Supreme Court Clarifies Parole Board May Delegate Final Revocation Hearings to Administrative Law Judges but Holds Due Process Requires Parolees Be Permitted to File Exceptions to ALJ Findings Before Board Renders a Final Revocation Decision, April 1, 2026
• New York Court of Appeals Holds Generic Physical Description Insufficient to Justify Pursuit in Mistaken Identity Case, and Suspect’s Flight Cannot Support Reasonable Suspicion Absent Evidence He Knew He Was Fleeing Law Enforcement, April 1, 2026
• Montana Supreme Court Holds Defendant’s Sentence Must Be Vacated Where District Court Premised Sentence on Defendant’s Exercise of Constitutional Rights to Jury Trial, Silence, and Against Self-Incrimination, April 1, 2026
• Fifth Circuit Holds Texas Sexual Assault of a Child Statute Sweeps More Broadly Than Federal SORNA Tier Offenses, March 1, 2026
• Delaware Supreme Court Announces Four-Part Plain Error Framework, Aligning Prejudice Standard With Federal Approach Requiring Reasonable Probability of Different Outcome, March 1, 2026

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.
• 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.
• Delaware Settles Suit Over Depriving Young Prisoners of Special Education, Feb. 1, 2026. Disabled Prisoners, Education, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
• $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.
• Broken Water Pipe Leads to Unsanitary Conditions at Montana State Prison, Dec. 1, 2025. Disabled Prisoners, Plumbing, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Supplies.
• Ohio Sheriff Agrees to Outside Probe in Investigation of Jailed Double Amputee’s Death, Dec. 1, 2025. Jail Misconduct, Disabled Prisoners, Restraints, Police--Excessive Force, Police/Govt Misconduct.