By Matt Clarke
In April 2013, Texas began intercepting cell phone calls originating in two of its largest prisons. The equipment installed at the Stiles Unit in Beaumont and the McConnell Unit in Beeville is intended to test the concept of detecting, intercepting and preventing the use of cell phones ...
By Matt Clarke
At around 5.5%, the segregation rate in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is over twice the national average of 2.7%. Segregating so many prisoners raises questions about the mental health effects of isolation. The urgency underlying those questions is punctuated by the fact that the ...
by Matt Clarke
On May 29, 2014, a Colorado federal jury found in favor of the City of Denver in a lawsuit brought by a former jail captain who was allegedly sexually harassed by another employee and subjected to daily sexual harassment by prisoners, which her superiors refused to address. ...
Tulsa, Oklahoma Settles Four Wrongful Conviction Lawsuits for $810,000
by Matt Clarke
In January 2014, the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma agreed to pay $35,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a man claiming his wrongful conviction was the result of police corruption; that same month the city settled a similar ...
$130,000 Settlement in Minnesota Prisoner’s Medical Negligence Suit
by Matt Clarke
In June 2014, the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) announced that it would pay $130,000 to settle a medical negligence lawsuit brought by a prisoner who suffered permanent nerve damage due to medical neglect.
Eric Thomas, 32, was incarcerated ...
Texas Hospital Settles Suit over Improper Border Patrol Search for $1.1 Million
by Matt Clarke
The University Medical Center of El Paso and its emergency room physicians settled their part of a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by a New Mexico woman who was forcibly subjected to invasive searches and ...
Utah Judge Orders Jail to Stop Seizing Prisoners’ Money for Pay-to-Stay Fees
by Matt Clarke
On April 9, 2014, Utah District Judge Michael G. Allphin signed a standing order for all criminal cases in which he presided, prohibiting Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson, the sheriff’s office and its business manager ...
Obama Administration Promises Transparency but Vigorously Prosecutes Whistleblowers
by Matt Clarke
In 2009, President Barack Obama promised a more transparent, whistleblower-friendly government. Obama claims he delivered on that promise with his November 27, 2012 signing of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, especially since he issued a White House policy directive ...
Texas Enacts Legislation to Reduce Wrongful Convictions
by Matt Clarke
Legal experts in Texas are trying to iron out a wrinkle they say is an unintended consequence arising from a new law governing discovery in criminal cases, but despite the glitch, the statute has been hailed as landmark legislation aimed ...
Federal Court Finds Texas Violates Rights of Muslim Prisoners
by Matt Clarke
On April 30, 2014, a federal district court held that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) was violating the constitutional rights of Muslim prisoners by limiting their religious services to one hour per week unless a volunteer ...
