by David M. Reutter
The American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section has issued a report that “urges Congress to repeal or amend specified portions of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA).” That report was sent for approval and action by the ABA’s House of Delegates in February 2007, which approved ...
Florida Warden Susceptible to Liability in Valdes' Murder; Suit Settles for $1,169,923.42
by David M. Reutter
While former Florida Department of Corrections director James Crosby was never charged in the murder of Florida death row prisoner Frank Valdes, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has held that Valdes' family presented ...
New York's Prison System Infested With Drugs
by David M. Reutter
The most glaring result of America's war on drugs has been the explosion of the nation?s prison population. Over 75 percent of all prisoners are either doing time for drug related offenses or were under the influence of drugs ...
The Warehousing of New Hampshire's Mentally Ill
by David M. Reutter
Despite over 30 years of litigation, mentally ill prisoners at the New Hampshire State Prison (NHSP) are still not receiving care to treat their conditions. In fact, with NHSP adopting the trend of locking prisoners down in Special Housing ...
Cleaning up Mississippi's Supermax: Conditions Suit Settled
by David M. Reutter
A class action lawsuit filed on behalf of prisoners at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman charged that the totality of conditions are so "hellish" that it makes "Unit 32 the worst place to be incarcerated in Mississippi, perhaps ...
Florida DOC's Policy Prohibiting Release of Sex Offenders Without Address Unconstitutional
by David M. Reutter
In October, 2005, a Florida Circuit Court has held that a Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) policy that requires a sex offender to provide a physical address or face indefinite imprisonment is unconstitutional.
Christopher A. ...
Florida's Department of Corruption
by David M. Reutter
An underlying principle of our penal system is to instill respect for the laws and rules that govern our society. As such, those charged with running our nation's jails and prisons have an ethical obligation to set an example for all citizens, ...
Florida Prison Canteen Operator's Offices Raided
by David M. Reutter
Agents from the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement raided the office of American Institutional Services (AIS) on June 7, 2006 and seized the companys business records. AIS ran weekend visiting park canteens within the Florida Department of Corrections ...
Floridas Civil Commitment Center Under Funded and Out-of-Control
by David M. Reutter
When first created in 1999, Florida's Civil Commitment Center (FCCC) was hyped as a place to house sexually violent predators for protection of the public while providing sex offender treatment after completion of criminal sanctions.
Instead, FCCC has ...
Minnesota Court Invalidates Some Evidence Standard in Disciplinary Hearings for Fact-Finding
by David M. Reutter
The Minnesota Supreme Court has held that a Minnesota Department of Corrections disciplinary hearing fact-finder must find by a preponderance of the evidence that a prisoner has violated a disciplinary rule before the Commissioner of ...
