Graham v. Allegheny County, PA, Class Action Complaint, COVID-19 Release, 2020 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA MICHAEL GRAHAM; ALEXUS DIGGS; and HEATHER CONNOLLY, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs-Petitioners, v. ALLEGHENY COUNTY; ORLANDO HARPER, Warden of Allegheny County Jail, …
All 50 States Report Prison Understaffing by Brian Sonenstein by Brian Sonenstein, Shadowproof Every state in the nation has reported prison staffing shortages since 2017, according to research by Shadowproof. This is concerning because “staff shortages” are historically used to push for greater investments in prison systems, oftentimes riding reform …
Precedential Settlement Eliminates Solitary Confinement on Pennsylvania’s Death Row by David Reutter by David M. Reutter The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PDOC) has agreed to operate a Capital Case Unit (CCU) “as a general population unit that exclusively houses prisoners sentenced to death.” That change in conditions is part of …
Pennsylvania Board Revokes Psychologist’s License Over Prisoner Suicides by David Reutter by David M. Reutter The Pennsylvania Board of Psychology revoked the license of psychologist James Harrington and imposed $62,233 in civil penalties and costs. The revocation was based on seven suicides over an 18 month period at SCI Cresson, …
Another Settlement in Sexual Assault Case at Pennsylvania Lackawanna County Prison by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Pennsylvania's Lackawanna County paid $1.1 million to settle yet another lawsuit alleging several Lackawanna County Prison (LCP) guards sexually assaulted female prisoners. That brings the total for lawsuits the county has agreed …
PrimeCare Medical Pays Bulk of $252,000 Settlement in Pennsylvania Jail Detainee’s Suicide by David Reutter by David M. Reutter A $252,000 settlement was reached in October 2019 in a lawsuit brought by the estate of a pretrial detainee who hanged himself at Pennsylvania’s Northampton County Prison (NCP). Kyle A. Flyte, …
$250,000 Settlement in Assault Upon Luzerne County Detainee by David M. Reutter by David M. Reutter A former Pennsylvania pretrial detainee who sustained serious injuries from a guard’s use of excessive force received a $250,000 settlement. As guard Christopher Refner was making rounds at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on …
Court Confirms Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Sentence in Tobacco Contraband Case by David M. Reutter by David M. Reutter Tobacco is a valuable commodity in jails and prisons because it is considered contraband. Maurice Dewayne Wakefield, II, went to great lengths with a group of prisoners to get another prisoner’s stash of …
Pennsylvania GEO-Run Jail Boss Resigns After Media Reveals Complaints of Racism, Abuse at Private Prison by David M. Reutter by David M. Reutter The superintendent of Pennsyl­vania’s George W. Hill Correc­tional Facility, which is run by GEO Group, resigned in November after a media investigation uncovered a buried whistleblower complaint …
$1.15 Million Settlement in Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Asthma Death by David M. Reutter by David M. Reutter Pennsylvania’s Erie County agreed to pay $1.15 million to settle a civil rights action alleging the county jail had a policy that “required a non-medical person to make a medical decision about what to …
McGill v. Clements, PA, Complaint, Solitary for Dreadlocks, 2020 Case 3:19-cv-01712-JFS Document 30 Filed 02/20/20 Page 1 of 16 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA ERIC S. MCGILL, JR., : : Plaintiff, : : v. : : TIMOTHY L. CLEMENTS, : Deputy Warden of …
$45,000 Settlement for Pennsylvania Prisoner Subjected to Excessive Force by David M. Reutter by David M. Reutter Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County Prison (LCP) has paid $45,000 to settle a civil rights action alleging a guard used excessive force on a prisoner. Multiple guards approached prisoner Marquice Gatewood on December 9, 2017, …
Prisoner Wins Preliminary Injunction Against PADOC Policy Banning Islamic Fezzes by The Human Rights Coalition by The Human Rights Coalition In August 2019, a federal magistrate judge recommended granting a preliminary injunction against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) to require prison officials to allow prisoners to purchase and wear …
Wright v. Westmoreleand County, PA, Complaint, Excessive Force, 2020 Case 2:20-cv-00040-MPK Document 1 Filed 01/09/20 Page 1 of 8 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL ACTION DAROB WRIGHT, Plaintiff, v. Civil Action No. 2:20-cv-40 WESTMORLAND COUNTY, JOHN WALTON, and CORRECTIONS OFFICER DOE, JURY …
Pennsylvania Prisoner Given Belt, Then Punished for Having It by David M. Reutter by David M. Reutter The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania found it lacked jurisdiction in a case brought by a prisoner who was issued a belt and then later punished for possessing it. Dissenting judges called the disciplinary …
Private Prison in Pennsylvania Takes Heat; Prison Board Replaced, Superintendent Retires by David M. Reutter by David M. Reutter On September 25, 2019, Pennsylvania’s Delaware County Council abolished its Board of Prison Inspectors (BPI) and replaced it with a Jail Oversight Board (JOB), after problems occurred at the privately operated …
Pennsylvania Prisoner Acquitted of Murder After 13-Year Battle – by Defending Himself in Retrial by Kevin Bliss by Kevin Bliss Representing himself during a fourth trial on a murder charge, Hassan Bennett was acquitted and released following a 13-year legal fight – an extraordinary feat. Bennett, 36, was serving a …
Judicial Abuse and Law Enforcement Corruption on Trial in Meek Mill Case by Kevin Bliss by Kevin Bliss A Pennsylvania appellate court granted Meek Mill (born Robert Rihmeek Williams) a new trial with a different judge following a motion alleging the police officer who testified against him, Reginald Graham, had …
Pennsylvania and Utah Expunge Criminal Cases to Help People Get Jobs, Find Housing by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell Nearly 30 million criminal arrest and conviction records – those of anyone ever apprehended for a low-level crime in Pennsylvania – will automatically be expunged under a new law passed in …
Class Action Certified in Pennsylvania Jail Gender Discrimination Suit by David M. Reutter, Matthew Clarke by David M. Reutter and Matt Clarke A civil rights case alleging Berks County, Pennsylvania denied equal protection to female prisoners classified as trustees has been certified as a class action. After issuing a preliminary …
