Search | Prison Legal News

CCA Fineable in New Contracts With Colorado and Hawaii

Article • September 15, 2006 • from PLN September, 2006

Filed under: Out of State Transfers, Private Prisons, Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Staffing

CCA Fineable in New Contracts With Colorado and Hawaii by Matthew T. Clarke Corrections Corporation of America has signed new contracts with Colorado and Hawaii which, for the first time, include the possibility of the states imposing liquidated damages if CCA fails to provide the contracted services. The provisions resulted …

Hawaii Guard Given Probation for Prisoners Death

Article • June 15, 2006 • from PLN June, 2006

Filed under: Guard Misconduct, Crime/Demographics, Criminal Prosecution, Prison/Jail Murders, Excessive Force, Guard Brutality/Beatings

Hawaii Guard Given Probation for Prisoners Death by Gary Hunter Hawaii Guard Given Probation for Prisoners Death by Gary Hunter Brian Freitas, a former guard was sentenced to one year probation for his part in the death of Antonio Revera, a prisoner at Halawa prison in Hawaii. Revera was beaten …

Guards Rape, Sexually Harass and Smuggle at Colorado Prisons

Article • October 15, 2005 • from PLN October, 2005

Filed under: Out of State Transfers, Sexual Assault, Staff-Prisoner Assault, Dominion Group, Staff-Staff Harassment, Contractor Misconduct, Guard Misconduct, Gender Discrimination -- Women, Staffing

Guards Rape, Sexually Harass and Smuggle at Colorado Prisons by by Matthew T. Clarke There are new troubles at several prisons in Colorado. At a 250-bed GRW-run private prison in Brush, a tiny town 91 miles northwest of Denver, the newly-resigned ex-warden and two guards have been indicted in relation …

Class Certification Discussed in Beach Fee Suit

Article • October 15, 2005

Filed under: Civil Procedure, Class Certification

Class Certification Discussed in Beach Fee Suit by Plaintiffs challenged a $3.00 beach access fee and sought class certification, proposing subclasses of those who had paid the fee and those who had not paid and consequently couldn't go to the beach. Impracticability of joinder "does not mean impossibility, but only …

Hawaii Settles Class Action Wrongful Imprisonment Suit for $1.2 Million

Article • September 15, 2005 • from PLN September, 2005

Filed under: Damages, Sentencing, Wrongful Imprisonment

Hawaii Settles Class Action Wrongful Imprisonment Suit for $1.2 Million by Michael Rigby The state of Hawaii has agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle a class action federal lawsuit involving hundreds of wrongfully imprisoned individuals. The state also agreed to implement measures ensuring the timely release of prisoners. The …

$15,000 Settlement In Hawaii Voting Rights Suit

Article • August 15, 2005 • from PLN August, 2005

Filed under: Organizing, Voting

$15,000 Settlement In Hawaii Voting Rights Suit by By John E. Dannenberg Dwayne Yoshina, Chief Election Officer of the Hawaii Office of Elections and Genevieve Wong, Honolulu City Clerk agreed to pay $15,000 in damages for disenfranchising 44 prisoners at the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) by their failure to …

Restitution Payments By Federal Defendant Whose Direct Appeal Was Final Held Not Reimbursable Upon L

Article • June 15, 2005 • from PLN June, 2005

Filed under: Money/Property, Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Restitution

Restitution Payments By Federal Defendant Whose Direct Appeal Was Final Held Not Reimbursable Upon L by Restitution Payments By Federal Defendant Whose Direct Appeal Was Final Held Not Reimbursable Upon Later Collateral Relief by John E. Dannenberg A convicted swindler whose direct appeal of his federal conviction was denied, but …

Uprisings at CCA Prisons Reveal Weaknesses in Out-of-State Imprisonment Policies

Article • January 15, 2005 • from PLN January, 2005

Filed under: Classification, Out of State Transfers, Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Contractor Misconduct, Guard Misconduct, Prison Rebellion, Escapes

Uprisings at CCA Prisons Reveal Weaknesses in Out-of-State Imprisonment Policies by by Matthew T. Clarke States strapped by tight budgets and pressed by a swell of prisoners are faced with the Hobson's choice of releasing prisoners early to ease overcrowding or building prisons they can ill afford to construct and …

Two of Three Hawaii, Parole Board Members Resign, Shutting Board Down

Article • January 15, 2004 • from PLN January, 2004

Filed under: Misconduct/Corruption, Parole Board Misconduct

Two of Three Hawaii, Parole Board Members Resign, Shutting Board Down by On April 2, 2003, Lani Rae Garcia'became the second member of the Hawaii Paroling Authority (the board) within 30 days to resign from the board. Garcia's resignation left the three-member board unable to conduct business. Garcia was charged …

Hawaii: High Recidivism for Mainland Prisoners

Article • October 15, 2003 • from PLN October, 2003

Filed under: Out of State Transfers, Prisoner Privileges, Rehabilitation/Recidivism

Hawaii: High Recidivism for Mainland Prisoners by Hawaii prisoners housed out of state are virtually guaranteed to return to prison after release, according to a Jan. 21, 2003, story by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Currently, 90 percent of prisoners housed on the mainland return to prison, while those housed in state …

Hawaii Adopts "Mailbox Rule" in Prisoner Civil Actions

Article • June 15, 2003 • from PLN June, 2003

Filed under: Mail, Mail Regulations

Hawaii Adopts "Mailbox Rule" in Prisoner Civil Actions by Hawaii Adopts "Mailbox Rule" in Prisoner Civil Actions The Hawaii Supreme Court reinstated a prisoner's appeal in a civil action. The prisoner timely gave his notice of appeal to prison guards, who did not mail it until after the filing period …

Hawaii Prison Doctor's Retaliation Judgment Upheld

Article • March 15, 2003 • from PLN March, 2003

Filed under: Retaliation, Retaliation against Staff, Whistleblowing, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Employee Litigation

Hawaii Prison Doctor's Retaliation Judgment Upheld by The Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals affirmed the USDC (D. Hawaii) judgment [PLN, June 2001: "Prison Doctor Wins $654,471 In Retaliation Suit"] based on First Amendment violations, expressly noting that in such retaliation suits, "mixed-motive" analysis applies regardless of whether the plaintiff …

Hawaii SO Notification Law Violates Due Process

Article • February 15, 2003 • from PLN February, 2003

Filed under: Discrimination, Sex Offender Registration

Hawaii SO Notification Law Violates Due Process by The Hawaii Supreme Court held that the state's sex offender notification law violates the due process clause of the Hawaii Constitution by providing public notification without any procedural safeguards. Eto Bani pled no contest to Sexual Assault in the Fourth Degree. The …

Honolulu Police Officers Indicted in Jail Food Scandal

Article • October 15, 2002 • from PLN October, 2002

Filed under: Misconduct/Corruption, Jail Misconduct, Food

Honolulu Police Officers Indicted in Jail Food Scandal by From January 1995 to September 2000, while prisoners at the Honolulu Police Department were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and prepackaged, reheatable meals, their captors were eating top sirloin and rib eye steaks at taxpayers' expense. Assistant Police Chief Rafael …

Hawaiian Women Prisoners File Suit Over Sex Abuse, Torture in Oklahoma Private Prison

Article • May 15, 2002 • from PLN May, 2002

Filed under: Out of State Transfers, Staff-Prisoner Assault, Private Prisons, Dominion Group, Staff-Prisoner Harassment, Contractor Misconduct, Guard Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Abortion

Hawaiian Women Prisoners File Suit Over Sex Abuse, Torture in Oklahoma Private Prison by Lonnie Burton When the State of Hawaii opted in 1998 to send its female prisoners to a privately run Oklahoma prison, it had no idea what was in store for these women. What ensued over the …

$250,000 in Hawaii Beating Death

Article • January 15, 2002 • from PLN January, 2002

Filed under: Crime/Demographics, Prison/Jail Murders, Excessive Force, Guard Brutality/Beatings

$250,000 in Hawaii Beating Death by In May 2001, the Hawaii prison system paid $250,000 to settle a lawsuit stemming from a prisoner being beaten to death by prison guards. In 1999 Antonio Revera, 26, was serving a 10 year sentence for rape in the Halawa Correctional Facility. While being …

Arizona CCA Prison Found 'In Turmoil'

Article • December 15, 2001 • from PLN December, 2001

Filed under: Classification, Out of State Transfers, Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Gang Policies, Failure to Protect (General), Staffing, Failure to Protect (Staff)

Arizona CCA Prison Found 'In Turmoil' by Ronald Young Hawaii officials found a prison "in turmoil" while inspecting a Florence, Arizona prison where about 560 Hawaii prisoners are being warehoused. The prison is operated by Nashville based Corrections Corporation of America. An inspection of the prison conducted in April 2001 …

Hawaii Prison Doctors Denied Qualified Immunity

Article • November 15, 2001 • from PLN November, 2001

Filed under: Medication, Seizures, Civil Procedure, State Law Claims, Venue, Eleventh Amendment Immunity, Qualified Immunity

Hawaii Prison Doctors Denied Qualified Immunity by AU.S. district court found that Hawaii state prison physicians were deliberately indifferent to a prisoner's medical needs and were not entitled to qualified immunity. Raymond Kenney filed suit in state court alleging denial of medication to control his seizures while he was a …

Prison Doctor Wins $654,471 in Retaliation Suit

Article • June 15, 2001 • from PLN June, 2001

Filed under: DOC/BOP misconduct, Retaliation, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Retaliation against Staff, Whistleblowing, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Employee Litigation

Prison Doctor Wins $654,471 in Retaliation Suit by John E Dannenberg Prison Doctor Wins $654,471 In Retaliation Suit by John E. Dannenberg Dr. Terence Allen, prison physician at Halawa (Hawai'i) prison, was awarded $111,000 in damages plus $543,360 in attorney fees/costs against prison officials who retaliated against him for speaking …

CCA Prison Under Gang Control: Death and Injury Suits Filed

Article • May 15, 2000 • from PLN May, 2000

Filed under: Out of State Transfers, Prisoner-Prisoner Assault, Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Gang Policies, Failure to Protect (General), Wrongful Death, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Accidents

CCA Prison Under Gang Control: Death and Injury Suits Filed by Gary Hunter Two suits were filed against Corrections Corp. of America (CCA) in less than a week. On April 15, 2003 the family of Iulai Amani sued CCA and the state of Hawaii for "wrongful conduct" resulting in Amani's …