by Christopher Zoukis
Does “tough on crime” President Donald J. Trump support prison reform? If his comments at a January 2018 listening session can be believed, the answer is a qualified “yes” – qualified because his focus is mainly on reentry services, not on prison conditions or sentencing …
by Christopher Zoukis
On August 10, 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed four related class-action lawsuits in which prisoners challenged the rates and commission kickbacks associated with jail phone service contracts.
A group of attorneys representing California prisoners held in San Mateo, Santa Clara, …
by Christopher Zoukis
Three former California jail guards were convicted of second-degree murder for fatally beating a mentally ill prisoner who suffered what prosecutors called an “agonizing and painful” death. In January 2018, the three men were each sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison.
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by Christopher Zoukis
Post-9/11, the demand for highly-trained explosives investigators has grown significantly; law enforcement agencies nationwide have hurried to recruit officers who have received specialized training in the detection of bombs and accelerants. And in an ironic twist, prisoners play a central role in the training of …
by Christopher Zoukis
A Brooklyn woman and her 16-year-old nephew, who were charged with harassing a police officer and obstruction, then compelled to attend around 20 court appearances over two years before the charges were finally dropped, were awarded $330,000 in damages by a New York jury.
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A Michigan woman who police arrested twice on charges of filing a false police report of rape was awarded just over $1 million after a federal jury found that the arrests were in retaliation for her criticism of the detective who investigated her rape complaint.
Linda Sonte Everson, …
by Christopher Zouki
Richard Uekert, who suffered a fractured nose and teeth from a San Patricio County sheriff’s deputy, was awarded $169,128 by a federal jury after it determined that the deputy used excessive force.
On October 10, 2010, Uekert was arrested for public intoxication and taken …
by Christopher Zoukis
A New York man—whose partner reported to police that he made threats on her life and who was subsequently arrested and jailed before the charge was dismissed— agreed to a settlement with Nassau County, officers, and officials.
On March 27, 2010, Richard Hunt and …
by Christopher Zoukis
The state of Massachusetts agreed to stop using the Caritas physical abilities test in the selection process of its prison guards upon a judicial finding that it negatively discriminated against women — and it agreed to work with the federal government to develop a new …
Lester Seeley, who was allegedly assaulted by several guards while being held in the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, New Jersey, agreed to a $30,000 settlement with the county.
According to Seeley, he suffered an unprovoked attack by several guards on December 15, 2007, resulting in permanent …
