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Sheriff, Undersheriff and Deputies Resign Over Safety Issues at Oklahoma Jail
by Matt Clarke
On March 18, 2019, Terry Sue Barnett, the sheriff of Nowata County, Oklahoma, resigned. So did her undersheriff, all of her deputies and everyone else in the sheriff’s department except for two dispatchers and three jailers. The reasons given for the mass resignations …
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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 Matthew Clarke:
- Fourth Circuit Holds Federal Prisoner Does Not Earn First Step Act Time Credits While in Transit Between Prisons, March 1, 2026
- Missouri Judge Heavily Sanctions DOC for “Deliberate Disregard for the Authority of This Court” in Suit Over Prisoner’s Suicide, March 1, 2026
- Texas State Jails Fail: Institutions Conceived as Safe Spots for Rehabilitation After Minor Drug Convictions Now Flooded With Drugs and Major Felons, March 1, 2026
- Dissenter Excoriates SCOTUS for Denying Certiorari in Challenge to Constitutionality of Nitrogen Hypoxia Execution, Feb. 1, 2026
- D.C. Federal Court Holds Blocking Prison Reform Advocate’s Access to Federal Prisoners May Violate First Amendment and Due Process, Feb. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Holds Estate Cannot Sue Jailers Who Followed Medical Personnel Advice That Led to Detainee’s Death, Feb. 1, 2026
- Sixth Circuit Reinstates Lawsuit Over Failure to Properly Classify Violent Prisoners at Kentucky Jail, Feb. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Holds Alabama County May Be Liable for Policy of Providing Inadequate Jail Medical Care, Feb. 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Reverses Summary Dismissal of Claim Over Prisoner’s Suicide in Oklahoma Jail, Feb. 1, 2026
- Deportation of Kenyan Priest Working as Texas Prison Guard Highlights TDCJ’s Dependence on Immigrant Staff, Feb. 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- North Carolina Prisons Are Facing a “Dire” Staffing Crisis, March 1, 2026. Staffing, Lockdowns, Guards/Staff.
- New York Governor Pulls Plug on Prison Watchdog Funding, March 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Prison Reform, Conditions of Confinement, Guards/Staff, State Legislation.
- Alaska’s DOC Was $24 Million Over-Budget Last Year, Spent Most on Overtime, March 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Staffing, Guards/Staff.
- New Hampshire Prison System Struggles to Hire Guards, Feb. 1, 2026. Staffing, Lockdowns, Guards/Staff.
- Deportation of Kenyan Priest Working as Texas Prison Guard Highlights TDCJ’s Dependence on Immigrant Staff, Feb. 1, 2026. Staffing, Exposure to Heat, Guards/Staff, Deportation/Removal/Exclusion, Detention - Generally.
- Brooklyn Jail Guard Convicted for Shooting and Car Chase, Dec. 1, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Shootings, Guards/Staff, Wrongful Use of Force, Authority and Jurisdiction.
- Body-Worn Camera Program for Guards Expands to all Maryland Prisons, Nov. 1, 2025. Videotaping, Security Systems, Guards/Staff, Staff Training, State Legislation.
- BOP Cancels Union Rights for Prison Guards, Nov. 1, 2025. Overcrowding, Staffing, Guards/Staff, Guard Unions, Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
- Help Wanted: 31,000 Prison Guard Jobs Open Nationwide, Sept. 1, 2025. Conditions of Confinement, Failure to Protect (General), Staffing, Exercise, Lockdowns, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Guards/Staff, Staff Training.
- Former Maine Prison Guard Arrested and Detained by ICE Agents, Aug. 1, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Guards/Staff, Immigration Law/Offenses.

