Investigation Uncovers Lost Graves at Former Florida Juvenile Facility
by David M. Reutter
An anthropological team from the University of South Florida investigating the grounds of the now-closed Florida Industrial School for Boys (FISB), a juvenile detention facility in Marianna, has identified the remains of three youths buried in a ...
Colorado Law Grants Immunity to Law Enforcement Officers Transporting Juveniles
by David M. Reutter
The Colorado Supreme Court held on January 13, 2014 that “allegations of negligence alone are not sufficient to overcome the statutory grant of immunity and the presumption of good faith afforded to law enforcement officers” under ...
$8.15 Million Jury Award for Prisoner’s Death at New York Jail
by David Reutter
A New York City jury awarded $8.15 million to the estate of a prisoner who died after being denied access to medical care.
While incarcerated in 1996 at the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, part of ...
Pretrial Detainee’s First Amendment Retaliation Claim Survives Summary Judgment
by David M. Reutter
In a December 26, 2013 decision, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s grant of summary judgment, holding that a former pretrial detainee had presented sufficient evidence that he was subjected to retaliation for ...
Due Process Requires Hearing before Return to Parole in Mistaken Release
by David M. Reutter
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the grant of qualified immunity to defendants who returned a man to parole without granting him a hearing. It also upheld a grant of attorney ...
Florida Public Defender May File Systematic Motions to Withdraw Due to Case Overload
by David Reutter
The Florida Supreme Court has held that aggregate/systematic motions to withdraw by the Public Defender’s office are appropriate in circumstances where there is an office-wide or widespread problem as to the office’s ...
Family Calls Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Death Murder; Prison Officials Exonerate Themselves
By David M. Reutter
Although an investigation into a prisoner’s death by the Pennsylvania State Police “does not indicate any foul play at this time,” the prisoner’s family is calling the death a homicide.
SCI Rockview prisoner ...
Auditors Find Deficiencies in Tennessee Prison Operations
by David M. Reutter
A performance audit of the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) was released in September 2012 by the state’s Comptroller of the Treasury. It made five findings related to security, information protection, weaknesses in monitoring contractors, abnormalities in ...
Another Florida Youth Languishes in Pain until Death While Guards Idly Watch
By David M. Reutter
A sense of fear and apprehension about overstepping authority kept guards at a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facility from summoning help for a dying juvenile. The incident is reminiscent of ...
Another Failed Experiment: Minnesota’s Private Prison Health Care Saves Money but Costs Lives
by David M. Reutter
Minnesota privatized its prison health care system in 1998 to achieve cost savings. While it has saved taxpayers money, it has exacted a toll of human suffering from prisoners subject to ...
