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GEO Group’s Florida Immigration Detention Center “Horrifying”

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: GEO Group/Wackenhut, Immigration

GEO Group’s Florida Immigration Detention Center “Horrifying” by David Reutter GEO Group’s Florida Immigration Detention Center “Horrifying” by David M. Reutter Hundreds of undocumented immigrants are housed at the GEO Group-operated Broward Transitional Center (BTC) in Pompano Beach, Florida, and many are victims of mistreatment and policy violations according to …

Georgia Deputies Liable for Detaining and Stripping Man in Debt Judgment Execution

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Police Misconduct, Money/Property, False Arrest

Georgia Deputies Liable for Detaining and Stripping Man in Debt Judgment Execution by David Reutter Georgia Deputies Liable for Detaining and Stripping Man in Debt Judgment Execution by David Reutter The Georgia Court of Appeals held in March 2014 that Fulton County sheriff’s deputies who detained a man to execute …

“Damning” Audit Sharply Criticizes Corizon in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Corizon, Contractor Misconduct, Systemic Medical Neglect, Private Contractors

“Damning” Audit Sharply Criticizes Corizon in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania by Greg Dober “Damning” Audit Sharply Criticizes Corizon in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania by Gregory Dober In December 2014, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Controller Chelsa Wagner released an audit report on Corizon Health’s compliance with its contract to provide medical care at the …

Third Circuit Affirms Nominal Damages, Reverses PLRA Fee Cap Order

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Disciplinary Litigation, Attorney Fees (PLRA)

Third Circuit Affirms Nominal Damages, Reverses PLRA Fee Cap Order by Mark Wilson Third Circuit Affirms Nominal Damages, Reverses PLRA Fee Cap Order by Mark Wilson On March 28, 2014, a New Jersey federal district court refused to reduce a prisoner’s attorney fee award to $1.50 (i.e., 150% of his …

Lawsuits Over Riot at CCA Prison in Colorado Settle for $600,000

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Prison Rebellion, Failure to Protect (General), Lockdowns

Lawsuits Over Riot at CCA Prison in Colorado Settle for $600,000 by Derek Gilna Lawsuits Over Riot at CCA Prison in Colorado Settle for $600,000 by Derek Gilna Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), confronted with the prospect of a jury trial scheduled to last 25 weeks on the claims of …

Federal Court Caseloads Threaten Constitutional Protections

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Statistics/Trends, Court Access

Federal Court Caseloads Threaten Constitutional Protections by Matthew Clarke Federal Court Caseloads Threaten Constitutional Protections by Matt Clarke Civil and criminal case filings in federal courts have grown dramatically over the past two decades, but at the same time the number of judges available to hear them has barely increased …

Ninth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of California ADA Suit Against Parole Officers

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Parole Board Misconduct, Disabled Prisoners, Sex Offender Residence, Limitations, Americans with Disabilities Act

Ninth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of California ADA Suit Against Parole Officers by Derek Gilna Ninth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of California ADA Suit Against Parole Officers by Derek Gilna In a decision that displayed its displeasure with California parole officers’ disregard for both the spirit and statutory requirements of the Americans …

The United States and Torture

Article • March 5, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: International Law, Political Prisoners (International), CIA

The United States and Torture by William Blum The United States and Torture by William Blum Two of the things that governments tend to cover-up or lie about the most are assassinations and torture, both of which are widely looked upon as exceedingly immoral and unlawful, even uncivilized. Since the …

Order re Required Log Entries for Stop and Frisk NYC_2_00028854, NYPD, 2013

Publication • March 5, 2015

Filed under: Police Searches, Police

Order re Required Log Entries for Stop and Frisk NYC_2_00028854, NYPD, 2013 NYC_2_00028853 NYC_2_00028854 NYC_2_00028855

Arizona DOC Director Blames Job Stress for Hundreds of Employee Arrests

Article • March 4, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Guard Misconduct

Arizona DOC Director Blames Job Stress for Hundreds of Employee Arrests by Arizona DOC Director Blames Job Stress for Hundreds of Employee Arrests One Phoenix TV station learned first-hand the consequences of letting the target of a news story find out too much about it in advance. Arizona Department of …

Texas Sex Offender Oversight Agency Faces Investigations, Calls for Reform

Article • March 4, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Judicial Misconduct, Sex Offenders (Discrimination), Civil Commitment

Texas Sex Offender Oversight Agency Faces Investigations, Calls for Reform by Matthew Clarke Texas Sex Offender Oversight Agency Faces Investigations, Calls for Reform by Matt Clarke An increasing number of attorneys, legislators and prisoner advocacy groups are calling for reforms to Texas laws governing the civil commitment of sex offenders, …

Murders in Maryland Prisons Continue Despite Reforms

Article • March 4, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Prison/Jail Murders, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death)

Murders in Maryland Prisons Continue Despite Reforms by Murders in Maryland Prisons Continue Despite Reforms Reforms instituted by Maryland officials in an effort to curb violence in the state’s prison system have done little to stem the number of prisoner homicides, according to statistics released by the Maryland Department of …

Michigan Governor Lacks Authority to Revoke Commutations

Article • March 4, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Pardons/Clemency

Michigan Governor Lacks Authority to Revoke Commutations by David Reutter Michigan Governor Lacks Authority to Revoke Commutations by David Reutter The Michigan Supreme Court held on June 3, 2014 that the governor does not have the power to revoke a completed commutation of sentence. It further held that where it …

From the Editor

Article • March 4, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Editorials

From the Editor by Paul Wright From the Editor by Paul Wright This month’s cover story reports on the relatively recent phenomenon of video visitation. While video visits are technologically new, the underlying principle upon which they are being implemented is not. PLN has reported extensively on the prison telephone …

Private Prison Information Act Reintroduced in Congress with PLN’s Help

Article • March 4, 2015 • from PLN March, 2015

Filed under: Private Prisons, Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, GEO Group/Wackenhut, Lobbying, Freedom of Information Act, Federal Legislation, Public Records Act

Private Prison Information Act Reintroduced in Congress with PLN’s Help by Private Prison Information Act Reintroduced in Congress with PLN’s Help On December 10, 2014, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) reintroduced the Private Prison Information Act (PPIA) in Congress. The bill, HR 5838, requires non-federal correctional and detention facilities …

Smith v. Town of Kremmling, CO, Complaint, Excessive Force, 2015

Brief • March 4, 2015

Filed under: Excessive Force, First Amendment, Excessive Force (Police)

Smith v. Town of Kremmling, CO, Complaint, Excessive Force, 2015 Case 1:15-cv-00459-RPM Document 1 Filed 03/04/15 USDC Colorado Page 1 of 25 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO Civil Action No.: 15-cv-00459 ROBERT MARK SMITH, Plaintiff, v. TOWN OF KREMMLING, COLORADO; ROBERT DILLON, Officer in …

TN bill would restrict where CCA prisoners can file suit

In-the-News Article • March 4, 2015

TN bill would restrict where CCA prisoners can file suit March 4, 2015 Articles with PLN Quotes Associated Press Bill would restrict the location where inmates at private prisons can file lawsuits By SHEILA BURKE&nbsp;&nbsp;Associated Press First Posted: March 03, 2015 - 4:54 pm Last Updated: March 03, 2015 - …

PLN editor quoted about jails as part of mass incarceration

In-the-News Article • March 4, 2015

PLN editor quoted about jails as part of mass incarceration March 4, 2015 Articles with PLN Quotes Truthout Jails: Time to Wake Up to Mass Incarceration in Your Neighborhood Wednesday, 04 March 2015 00:00By&nbsp;James Kilgore, Truthout | News Analysis &nbsp; Jails admit nearly 12 million people every year. Yet they …

DOJ Report on the Death of Michael Brown, Department of Justice, 2015

Publication • March 4, 2015

Filed under: Police--Excessive Force

DOJ Report on the Death of Michael Brown, Department of Justice, 2015 Memorandum DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REPORT REGARDING THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE SHOOTING DEATH OF MICHAEL BROWN BY FERGUSON, MISSOURI POLICE OFFICER DARREN WILSON MARCH 4, 2015 Table of Contents I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 4 II. Summary of the Evidence, …

Zollicoffer v. Livingston, TX, Motion for TRO and Prelim. Inj., 2015

Brief • March 4, 2015

Filed under: Sexual Assault, Prisoner-Prisoner Assault, Retaliation, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Prison Gangs, Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect (General), Eighth Amendment, Staff Training, Transgender, Discrimination (Transgender), Failure to Protect (Transgender), Fourteenth Amendment, rights

Zollicoffer v. Livingston, TX, Motion for TRO and Prelim. Inj., 2015 Case 4:14-cv-03037 Document 46 Filed in TXSD on 03/04/15 Page 1 of 33 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS HOUSTON DIVISION JOSHUA D. ZOLLICOFFER a/k/a PASSION STAR, Plaintiff, versus BRAD LIVINGSTON, personally and in his …