by Matt Clarke
On May 12, 2026, the Supreme Court of Idaho held that indigent parents, including prisoners, facing or appealing termination of parental rights (“termination”) in a private action have the right to counsel at public expense. However, no division of the government is specifically required by …
by Matt Clarke
In June 2026, Worth Rises, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of those it touches,” published a report, The Power of Free Communication in Prisons and Jails.
The report depicts the quantitative and qualitative effects free phone …
by Matt Clarke
On March 17, 2026, the Court of Appeal of California held that a “defendant confined in jail in county one, cannot willfully fail to appear, as ordered, in county two. Such a defendant does not ‘fail’ to appear. He should not suffer a penalty for …
by Matt Clarke
On May 28, 2026, the Supreme Court of the Unites States (SCOTUS) reversed the conviction and death sentence of a Mississippi prisoner whose trial counsel raised an objection to the prosecutor’s racially biased use of peremptory strikes but was not given an opportunity to argue …
by Matt Clarke
On April 21, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld an Oklahoma federal jury’s judgement and $33 million in compensatory damages against Ottawa County, Oklahoma in a lawsuit over a detainee’s horrific death due to untreated pneumonia that led to …
by Matt Clarke
On April 1, 2026, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) instituted a ban on prisoners receiving hardback books and used books. TDCJ claimed the book ban was instituted in response to finding 385 books mailed to prisoners that tested positive for synthetic drugs in …
by Matt Clarke
Brentwood, Tennessee-based CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corporation of America) operates the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center (TTCC), the state’s largest prison, and three other Tennessee prisons for the state Department of Corrections (DOC). But despite the company’s large footprint in Tennessee, its legacy is dismal at best …
by Matt Clarke
The death rate at the Dallas County jail increased around 50% during the first eight years of Sheriff Marian Brown’s tenure, according to investigative reporting by The Dallas Morning News. Many of the deaths could have been easily been prevented with timely and competent medical …
by Matt Clarke
On March 27, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit failed to grant an en banc rehearing of a panel decision holding that small deposits of money from outside sources that gradually accumulated in a federal prisoner’s trust fund account are …
by Matt Clarke
On March 17, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed the summary dismissal of a prisoner’s civil rights claims against prison dental staff for deliberate indifference to his serious need for dental care. It let stand the district court’s ruling …
