More from this issue:

1. Debit Card Issuers Still Prey on People Released from Prisons and Jails: HRDC Lawsuits Challenge Companies in Court, by Andrew Stewart
2. Arkansas Governor Hutchinson Grants Commutation for Blind Mother, by Kevin Bliss
3. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
4. $6 Million Payout in Montana Wrongful Conviction Case, by Derek Gilna
5. NBA Owner Capitalizes on Mass Incarceration; Players Silent, by Matthew Clarke
6. University of Florida Still Using Prison Labor, But End in Sight, by Kevin Bliss
7. Texas Disguising Deaths in Custody, by Diana Claitor
8. Administrator of “Whitey” Bulger’s Estate Sues BOP Over His Murder, by Derek Gilna
9. North Carolina Case Involving Death of Black Prisoner: “I Can’t Breathe,” Revisited, by Edward Lyon
10. New Jersey Releases 2,258 Prisoners to Combat COVID-19 Spread, by David Reutter
11. Cost of Communicating with Prisoners Breaking Family Budgets During Pandemic, by David Reutter
12. Pennsylvania Prisoner Off Death Row After 33 Years, by David Reutter
13. Innovative Vermont Prison Superintendent’s Demotion for Sexist Language Proves Controversial, by Jayson Hawkins
14. Another Prisoner’s Needless Death, Another Lawsuit at LaSalle-Run Texarkana Jail, by Matthew Clarke
15. Federal Judge Approves $25 Million Class Action Settlement Against Global Tel*Link, by Derek Gilna
16. The Latest on COVID-19: Will Vaccines be Available Soon?, by Michael D. Cohen, MD
17. Former Prisoners Testify on Abuse at Notorious New Jersey Women’s Prison, by Kevin Bliss
18. Fifth Circuit Order Denies Texas Prisoners Hand Sanitizer and Cleaning Supplies, by Derek Gilna
19. California Passes Bill Allowing ICE Detainees to Sue Private Contractors, by Kevin Bliss
20. The Role of Prosecutors in Mass Incarceration, by Jayson Hawkins
21. COVID-19 Deaths in Jails, Prisons Exceed Number of Deaths by Execution From 1990 to Present, by Derek Gilna
22. Missouri Executes Prisoner During COVID-19 Crisis, by Edward Lyon
23. $5.9 Million Settlement in Death of Transgender Prisoner at New York’s Rikers Island, by Matthew Clarke
24. For Some Faiths in Los Angeles County Jails, Volunteer Chaplains Are in Short Supply, by Douglas Ankney
25. Connecticut Prisoner Commits Suicide With COVID-19 Protective Mask, by Kevin Bliss
26. Prisoners Exonerated in Michigan After Police Misconduct Revealed, by Edward Lyon
27. Woman Sues Mississippi Parole Board for Discrimination and Retaliation, by Anthony Accurso
28. Maine Jail Gets a Pass for Using Pepper Spray on Mentally Ill Prisoners, by Kevin Bliss, Daniel A. Rosen
29. Privatized Food Service Problems at Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Jail, by Jayson Hawkins
30. $177,500 Settlement in Lawsuit Over Five Louisiana Prisoners Pepper-Sprayed While Handcuffed, by Matthew Clarke
31. California Appellate Court Orders 50% Reduction in San Quentin Population Over Fears of COVID-19 Spread, by David Reutter
32. COVID-19 Lockdowns in Prisons Affecting Post-Secondary Education, by Kevin Bliss
33. Indiana Prisoner Has First Amendment Retaliation Claims Rejected by Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, by Casey Bastian
34. Nine Months Later, DOJ Still Hasn’t Provided Senator Rubio With Answers About Rampant Sexual Abuse at Women’s Prisons, by Douglas Ankney
35. Members of Congress Probe Pentagon on Accreditation of Military Prisons, by Douglas Ankney
36. $11 Million Settlement in Illinois for Three Men Freed From Prison in Wrongful Convictions, by Anthony Accurso
37. COVID-19 in the Country’s Largest Female Prison, by Edward Lyon
38. Activists Call to Shut Down Illinois Prison, by David Reutter
39. California Jail Prisoner Loses Limbs, but Faces Setback in Lawsuit Alleging Medical Neglect, by Edward Lyon
40. Suicides in New York SHUs Surge to Epidemic Levels, by Keith Sanders
41. COVID-19 Strikes Alaskan Prison, by Kevin Bliss
42. Teen Spends 17 Months in Mississippi Jail Without Indictment, by Daniel A. Rosen
43. Julian Assange’s Potential Fate in U.S. Prisons, by Jayson Hawkins
44. California First State to Eliminate Post-Prison Fees, by Jayson Hawkins
45. Families Must Pay for Cremation Bill of Loved Ones Who Die in Prison, by Kevin Bliss
46. Fifth Circuit Reinstates Texas Jail Suicide Lawsuit, by Matthew Clarke
47. Seventh Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Illinois Prisoner’s Lawsuit Alleging Dental Care Negligence, by David Reutter
48. Former Transgender Prisoner Fights for LGBTQ Rights in Massachusetts Prisons, by Kevin Bliss
49. Third Circuit Reinstates Claims by Immigration Detainee in GEO-Operated Prison Seeking to Marry U.S. Citizen, by Matthew Clarke
50. Eighth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Iowa Prisoner’s ADA Claim, by David Reutter
51. Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Execution Drug Documents Subject to Disclosure, by Matthew Clarke
52. DC Circuit Court: “Three Strike” Prisoners Must Show Imminent Danger to File Lawsuits, by David Reutter
53. New Documentary Released on Forced Sterilizations of Female Prisoners, by Edward Lyon
54. Whistleblower Claims Female Detainees at Privately Run Georgia ICE Facility Had Forced Hysterectomies, by Dale Chappell
55. News in Brief
56. Maine Superspreader: Few Masks at Wedding Lead to Big Problems at Prison, by Jayson Hawkins

More from Matthew Clarke:

• Federal Court Grants HRDC Preliminary Injunction Against Mail Censorship at New Mexico Jail, May 1, 2026
• Faced with Record-Breaking Jail Deaths, L.A. County Supervisors Tell Sheriff’s Department to Improve Access to Naloxone, Camera Monitoring, and Security Checks at California Jail, May 1, 2026
• Federal Court Places Medical Care in Arizona Prisons Under Receivership, May 1, 2026
• Seventh Circuit Upholds Liability but Reverses Damages in Lawsuit Over Illinois Warden and Investigator Using Prisoner as Bait to Catch Staff Member Raping Her, May 1, 2026
• Texas Moves to Restrict Cashless Bond and Reverse Federal Court-Ordered Misdemeanor Bail Reform, May 1, 2026
• In Texas, Harris County Commissioners Approve $1.2 Million for Fourth Study of Jail Since 2020 After Dozens of Abuse Allegations, April 1, 2026
• Texas Attorney General Clarifies Scope of Statute Requiring Outside Agency Investigation of Jail Deaths, April 1, 2026
• D.C. Judge Blocks Transfer of Biden-Commuted Federal Death Row Prisoners to “Supermax,” Citing Lack of Meaningful Due Process, April 1, 2026
• Eighth Circuit Revives Lawsuit Over Iowa Jail Detainee’s Suicide, April 1, 2026
• Groundbreaking Statistical Study of Pregnant Texas Jail Detainees Finds Over 400 Monthly, April 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.
• Washington Governor Fires Independent Prison Watchdog, May 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Restraints, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
• Nearly 50 People Have Died in ICE Custody Since Trump’s Return to White House, May 1, 2026. LaSalle Management Company, Systemic Medical Neglect, Staffing, Suicides, Immigration Detention.
• Massachusetts Settles Lawsuit with Promise to Release Jail Voting Data, April 1, 2026. Voting, Advocacy, Settlements, Voting Rights, Felon Disenfranchisement Statute.
• $950,000 Settlement Reached for Pennsylvania Jail Detainee Repeatedly Pepper-Sprayed During Mental Health Episodes, April 1, 2026. Clothing, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Chemical Spraying of Mentally Ill Inmates, Deliberate Indifference.
• 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.
• $667,000 Awarded to Muslim Missouri Prisoners Pepper-Sprayed for Praying, April 1, 2026. Religious Discrimination, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Religious Practices, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
• $10.3 Million Paid for Teen’s Death at Kansas Juvenile Detention Facility, April 1, 2026. Restraints, Qualified Immunity, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Wrongful Use of Force.
• Leaked Video Footage Shows California Prison Guards Engaged in Retaliatory Assault, March 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Prison Rape Elimination Act.
• $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.