More from this issue:

1. Overcrowded and Understaffed, Oklahoma County Jail Remains “Deplorable”, by David Reutter
2. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
3. Lawsuit Claims Seattle’s King County Jail Shows Little Improvement in Quarter Century Since “Hammer Agreement”
4. No Jail Time for Former Arizona Prisons Director After Armed Standoff With Cops
5. Pennsylvania County Found Skimming Prisoner-Designated Funds from ViaPath Kickbacks
6. Colorado Sheriff Resigns After Deputies Fatally Shoot Motorist
7. With Guard Arrests at Georgia Jail, Sheriff Asks, “What Are We Doing Wrong?”
8. U.S. Sentencing Commission Greenlights Retroactive Sentence Reductions
9. Redemption Songs: The Forgotten History of American Prison Music, by Maurice Chammah
10. Nearly $11 Million Settlement Reached in Suit by BOP Prisoners Held Without Heat, Electricity During New York Winter Storm, by Douglas Ankney
11. Massachusetts Becomes the Fifth State to Make Prison Phone Calls Free
12. Federal Prisoner in Virginia Convicted on Fresh Kiddie Porn Charges After Drawing His Own
13. California Slowed, But Not Barred from “Dumping” Sick, Indigent Parolees on Public Hospitals
14. Rikers Island Detainees Given Pricey Weight-Loss Surgery but Little Follow-Up Care
15. Illinois Eases Restrictions on Prisoners Released Under Supervision
16. Moms Released from Massachusetts Prison Decry Dearth of Help
17. Eighth Circuit Issues Primer on Informal Due Process Procedures to Missouri Prisoner, by David Reutter
18. DOJ Finds ADA Violations in Arizona Prisons, Demands Improvements
19. Sick Georgia Prisoners Forced to Choose Between Treatment and Early Release
20. Unsealed Settlement Reveals PrimeCare Medical Paid $337,500 After Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Suicide, by David Reutter
21. Eighth Circuit Remands ADA Claims—But Not Constitutional Claims—of Paralyzed Arkansas Jail Detainee, by David Reutter
22. “Unethical At Best”: Hawaii Budget Director Charged With Financing New Prison is Former CoreCivic Lobbyist
23. Alabama Conducts First Nitrogen Hypoxia Execution
24. “More jobs than people”: Prisoners Training to Work on Ohio Infrastructure Projects after Release
25. Escape from Oregon State Hospital Results in Changes to Detainee Transports
26. HRDC Wins $14 Million Settlement for Exonerated Florida Prisoner
27. Four Dead in One Month in San Bernardino County Jails, $3,232,500 in Settlements Paid So Far, by Douglas Ankney, Casey Bastian
28. Seventh Circuit Revives Prisoner’s Challenge to Seized $10,000, by David Reutter
29. Alabama Prisons Facing Third Class-Action Lawsuit
30. Muslim Florida Prisoner Awarded Permanent Injunction to Grow Untrimmed Beard, by David Reutter
31. North Carolina Prison Official Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Program Fraud
32. South Carolina Sheriff Ordered to Pay $37,500 in Fees and Costs in Jail FOIA Case, by Matthew Clarke
33. Guard and Four Summit Food Service Employees Arrested for Smuggling at Troubled Atlanta Jail
34. New York Prisoners with Chronic Pain Win Injunction to Receive Denied Medication, by Matthew Clarke
35. Ninth Circuit Shuts Down Settlement Agreement in Long-Running California Prisoners’ Gang Affiliation Suit, by David Reutter
36. $470,000 Settlement After Texas Jail Nurses Fabricate Vital Signs for Detainee Who Died, by Douglas Ankney
37. New Jersey Supreme Court Revives Parolee’s Challenge to Administratively Imposed Treatment Program, by Matthew Clarke
38. BOP Pays $40,000 to Prisoner Sexually Assaulted at Florida Lockup by Guard, Who Must Pay Her $1 Million, by David Reutter
39. Serial Killer Murdered by Cellmate at Texas Lockup
40. California Felony-Murder Reform Shaves 11,000 Years Off 600 Prisoner Sentences, by Douglas Ankney
41. Seventh Circuit Says Lack of Expert Testimony Dooms Illinois Prisoner’s Medical Neglect Claim, by Douglas Ankney
42. Texas Fights Fetal Rights After Forcing Prison Guard to Stay At Work Until She Delivered Stillborn Baby
43. Suit Filed After Mentally Ill Detainee Starves to Death in Miami Jail, by David Reutter
44. Senators Grill BOP Chief—Then Say They’ll Toss Her More Money
45. Nevada Prisoner Strikes Out in Access-to-Courts Claim, by David Reutter
46. New Jersey Private Prison Ban Voided
47. Eighth Circuit Affirms $800,000 Award After Arkansas Jail Detainee’s Fatal Appendix Rupture, by Matthew Clarke
48. New Minnesota Justice Center Aims to be More ‘Humane’
49. Wellpath Held in Contempt in Suit at California Jail
50. Minnesota Prison on Lockdown After Protest Over Dirty Water, Lack of Phone Use and Out-of-Cell Time
51. California Prison Fined $1.7 Million for Stormwater Discharges, Environmental Violations
52. Seventh Circuit Reinstates Wisconsin Prisoner’s ADA Claim for Untreated Knee Injury, by Matthew Clarke
53. Eleventh Circuit Revives Claim Against Florida Jail That Forced Detainee to Scan Legal Mail Into Computer with Memory Chip, by David Reutter
54. Louisiana Fugitive Recaptured After 32 Years
55. Illinois Failing to Grant Dying Prisoners Medical Releases
56. MTC Returns $5.125 Million to Mississippi for “Ghost Workers” at Private Prisons
57. Florida Pastor Accused of Running Shoplifting Ring With DUI Diversion Program Participants
58. $900,000 Settlement Reached With Ohio Jail in Detainee’s Fatal Seizure, by David Reutter
59. Tribal Courts Expand ‘Healing to Wellness’ Rehabilitation Programs
60. Four TDCJ Guards Resign, Seven Suspended for Beating Handcuffed Prisoner Into Coma
61. Michigan Reaches $1.03 Million Settlement with Exonerated Prisoner
62. Oklahoma Parole Board Resignations Threaten Prisoner Clemencies
63. After Eight Deaths in Eight Years, Virginia Jail Introduces—Pickleball?
64. News in Brief

More from David Reutter:

• The Malleable Mind in the Courtroom: Why Confident Eyewitnesses Often Provide the Least Reliable Evidence, Oct. 15, 2025
• Help Wanted: 31,000 Prison Guard Jobs Open Nationwide, Sept. 1, 2025
• Fifth Circuit Greenlights Federal Takeover of Mississippi Jail, Aug. 1, 2025
• Ninth Circuit Revives Prisoner’s Claim Based on Guard’s 
Thwarting of Administrative Remedies, Aug. 1, 2025
• Tenth Circuit Ruling Paves Way for $2.7 Million Settlement 
for Intellectually Disabled Jail Detainee Raped by Sheriff, Aug. 1, 2025
• Ninth Circuit Agrees That Former Guantanamo Detainee 
Lacks Grounds to Sue for Waterboarding, Aug. 1, 2025
• Qualified Immunity Denied for Iowa Prison Doctor’s MRI Delay 
for Non-Medical Reasons, Aug. 1, 2025
• Ninth Circuit: Continuing-Violations Doctrine Applies 
for PLRA Administrative Exhaustion Purposes, Aug. 1, 2025
• First Circuit: Prosecutor’s Breach of Plea Agreement 
Requires Government’s Specific Performance of Agreement, 
Not Specific Performance by District Court, Aug. 1, 2025
• Oregon Prisoners Can Now Seek Economic Damages 
for Future Lost Income More Easily, July 15, 2025

More from these topics:

• SCOTUS Partially Overturns Pavey, Holds PLRA Exhaustion 
Dispute Must Go to Jury Even If Intertwined with 
Merits of Michigan Prisoner’s Claim, Aug. 1, 2025. Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA).
• Ninth Circuit: Continuing-Violations Doctrine Applies 
for PLRA Administrative Exhaustion Purposes, Aug. 1, 2025. Failure to Protect (General), Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA), Grievances, Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA).
• $95,000 Paid to Nevada Prisoner Denied 
Muslim Prayer; Pending Cases Allege Continued 
Discrimination Against Non-Protestants, Aug. 1, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Denial of Religious Services, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), Free Exercise Clause.
• Ninth Circuit Revives Prisoner’s Claim Based on Guard’s 
Thwarting of Administrative Remedies, Aug. 1, 2025. Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA), Grievances.
• Class-Action Suit at BOP “Rape Club” in California Settled for Record $116 Million, July 15, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, DOC/BOP misconduct, Settlements, Injunctions, Class Actions.
• Preliminary Injunction Issued Against Milwaukee Jail’s 
Mail Policy in HRDC Suit, July 15, 2025. Injunctions, Censorship, First Amendment, Prison Mail, Legitimate Penological Interests, Reasonably Related to Legitimate Penological Interest.
• Sixth Circuit: Michigan Tolling Statute Applies to PLRA Administrative Exhaustion Requirement, July 15, 2025. Retaliation for Litigating, Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA), Tolling of Statutes of Limitations and Laches.
• Wiccan Nevada Prisoner Wins 18-Year Fight for Religious Items, July 15, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Denial of Religious Services, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
• Eighth Circuit Excuses Missouri Prisoner’s Failure 
to Exhaust Remedies While He Was In a Coma, June 1, 2025. Systemic Medical Neglect, Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA).
• Fifth Circuit Reinstates Baha’i Texas Prisoner’s Dietary Claim, June 1, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Religious Diet, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).