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Lawsuit: Release Prisoners in Virus Tinderbox to Home Confinement
Patrick Jones first federal prisoner to die after judge rejects plea
by David M. Reutter
A non-violent federal drug offender who pleaded for early release in the months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting America died of the disease. Patrick Jones, 49, was the first federal prisoner …
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More from this issue:
- Coronavirus: A Nationwide Survey of the Push for Early Release as Pandemic Fears Grow, by Christopher Zoukis
- Early Prison Release for Gangsta Rapper Sped Up by Coronavirus, by Edward Lyon
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Prioritizing Jails Over Hospitals Has Made Rural US More Vulnerable to COVID-19, by Jasmine Heiss, Jack Norton
- May Update: Protect Yourself and Your Facility from COVID-19, by Michael D. Cohen, MD
- Recent Exonerees Give the Public Advice on Being Locked Down: You Have No Idea, by Dale Chappell
- Lawsuit: Release Prisoners in Virus Tinderbox to Home Confinement, by David Reutter
- Prison Postcards: Prisoners Write About Fears, Incompetence, at Their Facilities, by Ken Silverstein
- Rikers Island Prisoners Helped with Preparations to Bury the Coronavirus Dead
- Federal Judge “Troubled” by Arizona Prison Director’s Response to Coronavirus; State Rep Calls it “Reckless”, by Dale Chappell
- California Publishes Use of Force in Prisons Report, by Anthony Accurso
- Connecticut Prisoners Win Lawsuit After Hepatitis Exposure, by Edward Lyon
- Nevada Prisoner Prevails in Good Time Deprivation Appeal, by Edward Lyon
- California Three-Judge Court Denies Emergency Motion to Reduce Prison Population During Pandemic, by Christopher Zoukis
- Federal Court Grants Default Summary Judgment in Favor of Indiana Prisoner as Sanction for State’s Lies, by Dale Chappell
- Arkansas Supreme Court Denies Prisoner Preliminary Injunction on Religious Issues, by Anthony Accurso
- How Prepared Are State Prison Systems for a Viral Pandemic?, by Emily Widra, Peter Wagner
- Suit: Mississippi Man Sentenced to Two Days Hangs Himself After Jail Kept Him 52 Days Longer, by Douglas Ankney
- Emergency Cancellation of Attorney Visits Subject to Court Oversight, by David Reutter
- Undisclosed Settlement in Kentucky Case a Textbook Case of Negligent Privatized Prison Medical Care, by David Reutter
- Illinois Supreme Court: Settlements with Private Companies When Contracted for Government Service Are Public Record, by Kevin Bliss
- Coalition Fights to Ensure Jailed Voters in Arizona Can Vote, by Scott Grammer
- Mass Incarceration, Meet COVID-19 Opportunity to release prisoners with little public safety risk is clear, by Sharon Dolovich
- Multiple Indictments, Prison Sentences, for Guards and Officials at Violence-Plagued Cleveland Jail, by Edward Lyon
- Another Prisoner Dies at Tennessee Prison Run By CoreCivic, by Matthew Clarke
- Texas Prison Health Care Costs at Record High Despite Population Reduction, by Matthew Clarke
- DOJ to Treat Immigrants Like Criminals by Collecting DNA Samples, by Kevin Bliss
- Minnesota Prison Bans “No Touch” Rule, by Edward Lyon
- ICE Diverts Needed Face Masks from Medical Professionals, by Kevin Bliss
- Alabama Grandma Sentenced to Life on Drug Charge Finally Paroled, by David Reutter
- Paroled New Yorker Wrongfully Confined; Awarded $3,250, by Kevin Bliss
- Michigan Permits Prisoners to Seek Financial Assistance for College, by Bill Barton
- New Yorker Held Three Years at Rikers Island Before Acquittal, by Matthew Clarke
- Arizona DOC Raids Prisoner-Generated Funds to Pay for Lock Repairs; Whistleblower Says Records Being Falsified, by Matthew Clarke
- Kentucky Governor’s Executive Order Restores Voting Rights for Felons, by David Reutter
- Women Advocate for the Release of COVID-19 At-Risk Prisoners in Indiana, by Kevin Bliss
- Arizona Court Denies Emergency COVID-19 Motion, by David Reutter
- D.C. Juvenile Offender Finally Released After 26 Years Behind Bars, by Bill Barton
- Ohio Prisoner’s Facebook Live a Plea for Help During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Santa Rita Jail Accused of Slave Labor in California Class Action, by Kevin Bliss
- Open Prison: Lessons from the Past, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
- Chatham County Jail Reverses On Book Ban But Limits Number of Publications, by David Reutter
- $25 Million Jury Award to Baltimore City Prisoner For Guards Setting Up Retaliatory Gang Attack, by Dale Chappell
- Third Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Pennsylvania Prisoners’ Dry Cell Suit, by David Reutter
- Leaving Prison for a Real Home in California, by Edward Lyon
- Health Care Services Killing Women at Virginia Prison, by David Reutter
- $120,000 Settlement for Minnesota Woman Forced to Remove Hijab for Booking, by David Reutter
- News in Brief
More from David Reutter:
- Sixth Circuit Announces State-Law Exceptions to Appeal Deadlines Preserve “Pending” Status Under AEDPA, Holding Belated-Appeal Procedures Toll Federal Habeas Limitations Period, April 1, 2026
- Florida Supreme Court Announces Rule 3.170(f)’s Good-Cause Plea-Withdrawal Standard Does Not Apply at Post-Appeal Resentencing, April 1, 2026
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces Defendant Must Be Competent Before Undergoing Mental-Condition Examination Under § 16-8-107(3)(b), April 1, 2026
- California Court of Appeal Announces Plea Agreements Cannot Bar § 1172.1 Resentencing, Holds Merit-Based Denial of Petition Is Appealable, April 1, 2026
- Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies That Failure to Object to Ineligible Juror Does Not Constitute Waiver Unless Party Knew or Could Have Discovered Ineligibility Through Ordinary Diligence, April 1, 2026
- Washington State Guard’s Conviction Affirmed in Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Scheme, March 1, 2026
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Motion Judge Abused Discretion by Denying Evidentiary Hearing on IAC Claim Where Plea Counsel’s Affidavit Was Not Inherently Inconsistent With Colloquy Statements Regarding Immigration Advice, March 1, 2026
- Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Double Jeopardy Analysis for Multiple Assault Convictions, Holding That Assaultive Acts Occurring Over Short Time Period in Same Location Without Intervening Events Constitute Single Course of Conduct, March 1, 2026
- New Jersey Supreme Court Reverses Drug Convictions Under Cumulative Error Doctrine, Holding Combined Effect of Improper References to Television Series, Gun Violence, and Search Warrants Deprived Defendant of Fair Trial, March 1, 2026
- New York Court of Appeals Announces Coercive Police Tactics Compelling Suspect to Exit Home Constitute “Constructive Entry” Violating Payton, Holds Attenuation Analysis Applies to Third-Party Consent, March 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- Hospital Keeps Sending Detainees Back Without Care to County Jail in Colorado, May 1, 2026. Jail Misconduct, Private Contractors, Failure to Treat, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Deliberate Indifference.
- Pregnant Women Detained in Jail: The Hideous Story of In-Custody Births, May 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, OB/GYN, Failure to Treat, Jail Specific, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- $9.8 Million in Settlements Reached with South Carolina County and Wellpath in Gruesome Jail Death, May 1, 2026. Failure to Treat, Sanitation, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Deliberate Indifference.
- NaphCare Pays $875,000 to Settle New York License Violations, Banned from State for Five Years, May 1, 2026. Naphcare, Contractor Misconduct, Systemic Medical Neglect, Private Contractors, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- $2.135 Million Partial Settlement Reached in Schizophrenic Detainee’s Death from “Gross Medical Neglect” at South Carolina Jail, May 1, 2026. Prison Health Services, Failure to Treat, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Deliberate Indifference.
- 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. Drug Overdose, Overcrowding, Sanitation, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness).
- Negligence, Lack of Training at Ohio’s Cuyahoga County Jail Led to String of Deaths, May 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Drug Overdose, Jail Specific, Failure to Train/Supervise, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- $750,000 Paid by NaphCare for New York Jail Suicide, May 1, 2026. Naphcare, Jail Specific, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Suicides, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- Uncounted COVID Deaths Reveal a Troubling Truth About Official Death Records, May 1, 2026. Racial Discrimination, Medical Records, COVID-19, Statistics/Trends, Databases.
- Houston Jail Renews $38 Million Contract to Outsource Detainees to Private Lockups, April 1, 2026. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Failure to Treat, Overcrowding, Staffing, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.

