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$6 Million Payout in Montana Wrongful Conviction Case
by Derek Gilna
Three Montana counties agreed on November 26, 2019, to pay $6 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit that accused their county sheriffs and employees of egregious civil rights violations that led to an innocent man serving 23 years in prison, and permitted the …
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More from this issue:
- Debit Card Issuers Still Prey on People Released from Prisons and Jails: HRDC Lawsuits Challenge Companies in Court, by Andrew Stewart
- Arkansas Governor Hutchinson Grants Commutation for Blind Mother, by Kevin Bliss
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- $6 Million Payout in Montana Wrongful Conviction Case, by Derek Gilna
- NBA Owner Capitalizes on Mass Incarceration; Players Silent, by Matthew Clarke
- University of Florida Still Using Prison Labor, But End in Sight, by Kevin Bliss
- Texas Disguising Deaths in Custody, by Diana Claitor
- Administrator of “Whitey” Bulger’s Estate Sues BOP Over His Murder, by Derek Gilna
- North Carolina Case Involving Death of Black Prisoner: “I Can’t Breathe,” Revisited, by Edward Lyon
- New Jersey Releases 2,258 Prisoners to Combat COVID-19 Spread, by David Reutter
- Cost of Communicating with Prisoners Breaking Family Budgets During Pandemic, by David Reutter
- Pennsylvania Prisoner Off Death Row After 33 Years, by David Reutter
- Innovative Vermont Prison Superintendent’s Demotion for Sexist Language Proves Controversial, by Jayson Hawkins
- Another Prisoner’s Needless Death, Another Lawsuit at LaSalle-Run Texarkana Jail, by Matthew Clarke
- Federal Judge Approves $25 Million Class Action Settlement Against Global Tel*Link, by Derek Gilna
- The Latest on COVID-19: Will Vaccines be Available Soon?, by Michael D. Cohen, MD
- Former Prisoners Testify on Abuse at Notorious New Jersey Women’s Prison, by Kevin Bliss
- Fifth Circuit Order Denies Texas Prisoners Hand Sanitizer and Cleaning Supplies, by Derek Gilna
- California Passes Bill Allowing ICE Detainees to Sue Private Contractors, by Kevin Bliss
- The Role of Prosecutors in Mass Incarceration, by Jayson Hawkins
- COVID-19 Deaths in Jails, Prisons Exceed Number of Deaths by Execution From 1990 to Present, by Derek Gilna
- Missouri Executes Prisoner During COVID-19 Crisis, by Edward Lyon
- $5.9 Million Settlement in Death of Transgender Prisoner at New York’s Rikers Island, by Matthew Clarke
- For Some Faiths in Los Angeles County Jails, Volunteer Chaplains Are in Short Supply, by Douglas Ankney
- Connecticut Prisoner Commits Suicide With COVID-19 Protective Mask, by Kevin Bliss
- Prisoners Exonerated in Michigan After Police Misconduct Revealed, by Edward Lyon
- Woman Sues Mississippi Parole Board for Discrimination and Retaliation, by Anthony Accurso
- Maine Jail Gets a Pass for Using Pepper Spray on Mentally Ill Prisoners, by Kevin Bliss, Daniel A. Rosen
- Privatized Food Service Problems at Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Jail, by Jayson Hawkins
- $177,500 Settlement in Lawsuit Over Five Louisiana Prisoners Pepper-Sprayed While Handcuffed, by Matthew Clarke
- California Appellate Court Orders 50% Reduction in San Quentin Population Over Fears of COVID-19 Spread, by David Reutter
- COVID-19 Lockdowns in Prisons Affecting Post-Secondary Education, by Kevin Bliss
- Indiana Prisoner Has First Amendment Retaliation Claims Rejected by Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, by Casey Bastian
- Nine Months Later, DOJ Still Hasn’t Provided Senator Rubio With Answers About Rampant Sexual Abuse at Women’s Prisons, by Douglas Ankney
- Members of Congress Probe Pentagon on Accreditation of Military Prisons, by Douglas Ankney
- $11 Million Settlement in Illinois for Three Men Freed From Prison in Wrongful Convictions, by Anthony Accurso
- COVID-19 in the Country’s Largest Female Prison, by Edward Lyon
- Activists Call to Shut Down Illinois Prison, by David Reutter
- California Jail Prisoner Loses Limbs, but Faces Setback in Lawsuit Alleging Medical Neglect, by Edward Lyon
- Suicides in New York SHUs Surge to Epidemic Levels, by Keith Sanders
- COVID-19 Strikes Alaskan Prison, by Kevin Bliss
- Teen Spends 17 Months in Mississippi Jail Without Indictment, by Daniel A. Rosen
- Julian Assange’s Potential Fate in U.S. Prisons, by Jayson Hawkins
- California First State to Eliminate Post-Prison Fees, by Jayson Hawkins
- Families Must Pay for Cremation Bill of Loved Ones Who Die in Prison, by Kevin Bliss
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Texas Jail Suicide Lawsuit, by Matthew Clarke
- Seventh Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Illinois Prisoner’s Lawsuit Alleging Dental Care Negligence, by David Reutter
- Former Transgender Prisoner Fights for LGBTQ Rights in Massachusetts Prisons, by Kevin Bliss
- Third Circuit Reinstates Claims by Immigration Detainee in GEO-Operated Prison Seeking to Marry U.S. Citizen, by Matthew Clarke
- Eighth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Iowa Prisoner’s ADA Claim, by David Reutter
- Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Execution Drug Documents Subject to Disclosure, by Matthew Clarke
- DC Circuit Court: “Three Strike” Prisoners Must Show Imminent Danger to File Lawsuits, by David Reutter
- New Documentary Released on Forced Sterilizations of Female Prisoners, by Edward Lyon
- Whistleblower Claims Female Detainees at Privately Run Georgia ICE Facility Had Forced Hysterectomies, by Dale Chappell
- News in Brief
- Maine Superspreader: Few Masks at Wedding Lead to Big Problems at Prison, by Jayson Hawkins
More from Derek Gilna:
- Federal Judge in Louisiana Issues Sweeping Opinion Finding Numerous Eighth Amendment, ADA and RA Violations at Angola, April 1, 2022
- Human Rights Defense Center Prevails in Censorship Lawsuit Against Napa County Jail, California, Sept. 1, 2021
- California State Auditor’s Report Faults Counties for Waste and Poor Oversight of State Funds Used in “Public Safety Realignment”, Sept. 1, 2021
- The Fight Over Cellphones in Prisons Rages On, Sept. 1, 2021
- District Court Extends Armstrong Order to Five Additional California Prisons, Sept. 1, 2021
- HRDC Settles Censorship Lawsuit with Johnson County, Kansas Jail for $50,000 and Policy Changes, Aug. 1, 2021
- Virginia Prosecutors to Dismiss 400 Drug Convictions Tied to Disgraced Cop, July 15, 2021
- Discredited New York Police Detective’s False Testimony Causes the Dismissal of Close to 100 Drug Convictions, June 15, 2021
- D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences Firearms Examination Unit Under Fire, April 15, 2021
- Mississippi Joins Illinois and Few Other States Prioritizing Vaccination of State Prisoners to Slow Spread of COVID-19, April 1, 2021
More from these topics:
- $700,000 Paid by West Virginia for Jail Death, Claims Against Wexford Health Pending, Oct. 1, 2026. Wexford Health Services, Restraints, Settlements, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Deliberate Indifference.
- $5 Million Paid by Washington for Attempted Rape of Seattle Woman by Mentally Ill Prisoner Released to Halfway House, Oct. 1, 2026. Settlements, Failure to Train/Supervise, halfway houses, Criminal Sexual Abuse, Prison Classification.
- Prisoners At Indiana’s “Speedway Slammer” Settle Conditions Suits for $1.2 Million, Whistleblower Alleges Staff Mistreatment, Oct. 1, 2026. Work Conditions/Safety, Medication, Settlements, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Immigration Detention.
- Iowa Department of Corrections Settles Lawsuit and Agrees to Implement More Reliable Drug Testing Procedures and Fair Disciplinary Proceeding Policies, Oct. 1, 2026. Liberty Interests, Evidence, Drug Testing, Settlements, Burden of Proof.
- Maryland Pays $314,000 for Stonewalling Public Records Requests in Prisoner’s Dehydration Death, Oct. 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Water, Attorney Fee Awards, Settlements, Public Records Act.
- Last of Three Oklahoma Jail Death Settlements Totaling $66.5 Million Paid for Fatal Dehydration of “Cookie Queen”, Oct. 1, 2026. Diabetes, Settlements, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Deliberate Indifference.
- $3.75 Million Paid by Wisconsin After Mentally Ill Prisoner Dies of Dehydration, Oct. 1, 2026. Water, Settlements, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Deliberate Indifference.
- $250,000 Paid by Nevada to Former Prisoner Denied Colonoscopy Who Developed Stage IV Cancer, Oct. 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Cancer, Failure to Treat, Settlements, Deliberate Indifference.
- L.A. County Begins Making Nearly $5 Billion in Payouts to Survivors of Sex Abuse in Juvenile Detention, Sept. 1, 2026. Sexual Assault, Staff-Prisoner Assault, Prisoner-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Settlements, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders.
- Florida DOC Rebuked for Seizing Prisoner’s Excessive Force Settlement to Cover Incarceration Liens, Sept. 1, 2026. Summary Judgment, Settlements, Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Trust Accounts, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights.

