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Articles by David Reutter

$17.75 Million Settlement for Victims of Pennsylvania “Kids for Cash” Scandal

by David M. Reutter

Several of the defendants in a “widespread scheme and subversion of the Luzerne County juvenile justice system” in Pennsylvania have agreed to a $17.75 million settlement to resolve a class-action federal lawsuit. The scheme involved the building of two private juvenile detention centers and payments to ...

Seventh Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Case Challenging Conditions in Illinois Jail where Mentally Ill Prisoner Died

Seventh Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Case Challenging Conditions in Illinois Jail
where Mentally Ill Prisoner Died

On March 20, 2012, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s grant of summary judgment to the defendants in a case claiming inhumane conditions of confinement at a county jail; the ...

Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Disciplinary Result

By: David M. Reutter

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin held, on December 14, 2010 that a prison guard’s involvement in the investigation in an incident is not “substantial involvement” that violates the due process right to an impartial decision maker in a prison disciplinary hearing.

This case involved protracted litigation ...

Newly Installed Florida Prison Chief Sacked

by David M. Reutter

After campaigning on a theme of reeling in wasteful spending, Rick Scott wasted no time as governor in tapping Edwin Buss as Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC). At the time, Buss was Indiana’s Commissioner of Corrections. Along with his experience in reducing recidivism, ...

Restoration of Voting Rights a Mixed Bag

by David M. Reutter

Disenfranchisement of ex-felons has always been a huge issue for civil rights activists. Lately, a few victories have been obtained in the area. The question is, however, how effective have the gains been in empowering ex-felons to vote?

In Florida, the process is slow. Yet, much ...

Aramark Food Contract with Kentucky under Scrutiny

by David M. Reutter

An October 2010 report issued by Kentucky’s Auditor of Public Accounts concerning the $12 million food service contract between Aramark Correctional Services (Aramark) and the Kentucky Department of Corrections (KDOC) found a lack of oversight, overpayments and a failure to provide the service required by the ...

Two Companies Acknowledge Exporting U.S. Prisoner-Made Goods to Canada

by David M. Reutter

South Carolina-based Anderson Hardwood Floors formally announced in January 2012 that it had been violating Canadian law by exporting products partly manufactured by prisoners into Canada for the past 15 years. The announcement implicitly means the company also violated U.S. law by failing to clearly label ...

Federal Court Upholds Maryland Law that Reclassifies Prisoners for Redistricting

by David M. Reutter

On December 23, 2011, a Maryland federal district court three-judge panel upheld a state law that counts prisoners as residents of their legal home address rather than their prison address for redistricting purposes.

For decades, states have used unadjusted census data to set voting districts. The ...

Report Cites Rising Violence, Other Problems at Illinois Maximum-Security Prison

by David M. Reutter

A report by the John Howard Association of Illinois (JHA) found that overcrowding and understaffing at the Menard Correctional Center (Menard) has resulted in an “alarming” increase in staff and prisoner assaults.

Opened in 1878, Menard is the second-oldest prison in Illinois. When JHA visited the ...

Mug Shot Websites Based on Extortion Business Model

by David M. Reutter

One of the most insidious businesses to grow out of the prison industrial complex revolves around mug shots. Natural curiosity compels many people to view jail booking photos taken by law enforcement agencies when someone is arrested, which are usually considered public records. Profiteers are now ...