by Matt Clarke
On April 15, 2026, Nebraska State Penitentiary (NSP) Warden Barb Lewien issued a memo stating that “NSP will resume the Native American religious land use schedule in effect prior to the suspension period.” This cut short a 60-day suspension that effectively prevented many followers of …
by Matt Clarke
On March 31, 2026, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida reluctantly granted a federal prisoner early release after the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) dropped the ball multiple times in scheduling an urgently needed appointment with a breast surgeon to …
by Matt Clarke
On March 13, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit dismissed as moot a federal prisoner’s appeal of a district court’s dismissal of his habeas action under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 challenging the calculation by the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) …
by Matt Clarke
On December 3, 2025, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granted partial final judgment to the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Corrections (DOC) for its implementation of Senate Bill (S.B.) 185, a state law prohibiting …
by Matt Clarke
On February 19, 2026, a federal jury awarded $2,500 in punitive damages to a Wisconsin prisoner who was sexually assaulted by a female guard.
Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) prisoner Nate A. Lindell was incarcerated at the Columbia Correction Center when, in November 2020, …
by Matt Clarke
On March 6, 2026, the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico granted the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)—the publisher of Prison Legal News, Criminal Legal News, and several books—a preliminary injunction (PI) against Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The PI …
by Matt Clarke
On March 3, 2026, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to approve a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn to require the Sheriff’s Department to increase access in the jail to Naloxone (an opiate-overdose-reversing drug), more closely monitor the jail’s cameras, and improve …
by Matt Clarke
On February 19, 2026, an Arizona federal court issued an order that will result in medical care for prisoners in the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Re-entry (DCRR) being placed under a court-appointed receiver. This rare and drastic measure amounts to a takeover of …
by Matt Clarke
On February 26, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld a jury’s finding of liability against an Illinois warden and prison investigator who used an unknowing prisoner as bait in an unsuccessful attempt to catch the counselor who was raping …
by Matt Clarke
Recent legislation has helped Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) challenge federal court-ordered misdemeanor bail reform that expanded the availability of personal recognizance (PR) bonds.
Texas was never friendly toward PR bonds. The general rule was that, once arrested, you pay or you stay—in …
