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Articles by Dale Chappell

Oklahoma County Settles Jail Death Lawsuit for $3.2 Million

by Dale Chappell

The family of a man who was neglected to the point that he died in jail in Carter County, Oklahoma has settled a lawsuit against the county for $3.2 million, plus interest, after new and damaging evidence was uncovered.

Michael Manos was no stranger to staff at ...

California County Settles Failure to Protect Lawsuit for $90,000

by Dale Chappell

Contra Costa County has settled a lawsuit filed in federal court by Suneel Kumar, agreeing to pay him $90,000 after guards at the county jail allowed another prisoner to attack him while he was performing his job duties within the facility, and failed to intervene before he ...

BOP to Implement Paperless Mail System in Attempt to Stop Drugs

by Dale Chappell

Soon, federal prisoners will not be able to receive any paper correspondence but will have to read letters on “kiosks” in housing units. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials say the move is needed in order to stop the flow of drugs coming in through the mail, including ...

Prosecutors Get Real Look at Life After Prison

by Dale Chappell

A dozen prosecutors and other criminal justice workers got a real life look at what it’s like to re-enter society after being in prison – ­­and every one of them failed to get everything done as required by their “probation officers.”

The Reentry Simulation took place at ...

Jury Awards Oregon Prisoner $350,000 After Guard Announces He Was a “PC” Case

by Dale Chappell

In April 2019, a jury awarded a prisoner held at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution $350,000 in damages when he was attacked by other prisoners after a guard announced that he was a “PC” (protective custody) case.

Oregon state prisoner Skyler Floro, a former gang member, claimed ...

Rikers Prisoner Smuggles DNA Evidence of Rape Out of Jail; $500,000 Settlement

by Dale Chappell

A female Rikers Island prisoner who was raped by a guard had to sneak DNA evidence of the sexual assault out of the jail to get anyone to believe her story. As a result, the guard, Jose Cosme, was arrested and convicted.

The unnamed prisoner, identified as ...

New York Court of Claims Orders DOCCS to Turn Over OSI Report, Guards’ Personnel Files

by Dale Chappell

The New York Court of Claims ordered the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to produce records in two cases where prisoners filed claims alleging excessive force by guards.

In the first case, in an October 24, 2018 ruling, Judge Frank Milano ordered DOCCS to turn ...

Rhode Island’s Civil Death Law Bars Prisoners from Filing Lawsuits in State Court

by Dale Chappell

Most people have heard about the death penalty. But how many have heard of someone being declared “civilly dead” and stripped of their civil rights after receiving a life sentence, even if they are eligible for parole?

Welcome to Rhode Island, where the concept of “civil death” ...

Government Wants Federal Prisoner’s $250,000 Settlement to Pay Restitution

by Dale Chappell

A federal prisoner who won a $250,000 settlement against the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), following an injury that required surgery and a month-long hospital stay, is fighting government lawyers who want that money to go toward restitution.

Thomas “Tommy Shots” Gioeli, 67, slipped and fell at ...

Missing Property and Overtime Abuse in Illinois Prisons Cost Taxpayers Millions

by Dale Chappell

An audit released on September 18, 2019 found, among other issues, that missing property and abuse of overtime in Illinois’ prison system cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year.

The two-year audit reported that prison staff were taking paid leave time but then coming in to work ...