by David M. Reutter
On June 29, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington certified a class consisting of any person who from May 2, 2020, to present was “held in any cell blocks at Pierce County Jail (PCJ) having unremedied plumbing defects leading …
by David M. Reutter
The South Carolina Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari on July 22, 2026, which reversed class action status alleging prison officials were negligent in the rape of adult and juvenile prisoners. The Court found that the action failed to satisfy the commonality test, …
by David M. Reutter
On August 6, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the denial of qualified immunity (QI) to a guard who delayed treatment by eight minutes to a Michigan prisoner who complained of chest pain and subsequently suffered a heart attack. …
by David M. Reutter
The advent of identification theft and residency questions brought due to heightened scrutiny of citizenship status mandates one possess documents to prove who they are and their eligibility to work legally. A February 2026 report by the Reason Foundation evidences that most state prison …
by David M. Reutter
A July 2026 report issued by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) found that the age of persons dying in prison increased and those prisoners more often died from natural causes. The report made recommendations to reduce the number of deaths.
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by David M. Reutter
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Western Division, held that Article I, Section 13 of the Pennsylvania Constitution prohibits the imposition of a mandatory life without parole sentence upon persons convicted of felony murder. The Court’s opinion delved deeply into the history behind the creation …
by David M. Reutter
On November 14, 2025, the Supreme Court of Oregon held that a detainee who was in the physical custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) but in the legal custody of a sentencing court was “in jail” within the meaning of ORS 137.370(4). …
On April 1, 2024, jury in federal court for the Northern District of Illinois awarded $875,000 to state prisoner John E. Taylor, Jr., after finding officials with the state Department of Corrections (DOC) and its contracted medical provider, Wexford Health Sources, had violated his constitutional rights with the deliberate …
In a case of importance to California prisoners, the state Court of Appeals, Sixth Appellate District, held on June 28, 2024, that Penal Code § 2900.5 requires a trial court to apply presentence credits for periods that a defendant has spent in jail toward any and all sentences handed …
Since its September 2021 ruling in Brawner v. Scott Cty., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has held that pretrial detainees challenging their medical care in jail are not fully held to the “deliberate indifference” standard laid out by the Supreme Court of the U.S. …
