Wisconsin County Bans Profiteering in Jail Phone Contracts by On September 20, 2007, the Board of Supervisors for Dane County, Wisconsin enacted an ordinance amending the way the county contracts for jail telephone services. The ordinance requires that jail phone contracts (1) must not generate revenue to the county and …
Seventh Circuit Reverses FTCA Dismissal; BOP Still Liable for Lost Property by The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed an earlier holding that the government is not immune from suit for lost property. During a February 2000 “shake down,” federal prisoner David Dahler had a pair of shoes and four …
Seventh Circuit: Wisconsin Supermax Conditions Unconstitutional by by John E. Dannenberg PLN has oft reported on the psychologically debilitating conditions at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ supermax prison at Boscobel. [See, e.g., PLN, April 2002, p.1, Barbaric Conditions at Wisconsin Supermax Result in PI to Transfer Mentally Ill Prisoners]. The …
Prison Doctors, Tainted by Regulatory Board Discipline, Administer Wisconsin Prisoner Care by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Whenever prisoners complain about inept healthcare, prison officials accuse them of being manipulating whiners, or assert they are being administered the ?community standard of care? by competent medical professionals. A review by …
Jail Liable for Labeling Arrestee’s Cell as “HIV Positive Inmate” by Jail Liable for Labeling Arrestee's Cell as "HIV Positive Inmate" The plaintiff was arrested and informed the police he was HIV positive. They put a pink sign on his holding cell door saying HIV POSITIVE INMATE, which was removed …
HIV Status Allows Plaintiff to Proceed Anonymously by The plaintiff was arrested, told the police he was HIV positive, and they put a pink sign saying HIV POSITIVE INMATE on his cell door in the police lockup (this in 1997!). The fact that a case involves a medical issue or …
BOP Early Release Suit Subject to PLRA by The Bureau of Prisons' determination that petitioner is ineligible for early release is something that happened at the prison rather than a continuation of the criminal case, so the PLRA applies, rather than habeas rules. The petitioner filed a notice of appeal. …
No Liability for Jail Prisoner’s Suicide by No Liability for Jail Prisoner's Suicide The decedent, diagnosed as schizophrenic, was arrested on outstanding warrants. Jail personnel were notified that he was an escape risk and he was placed in a suicide watch cell. The officer on duty the next day was …
No Restriction on Moving Wisconsin Prisoners to Private Out of State Prisons by The plaintiff sought an injunction against his transfer to a private prison in Texas or Tennessee. His commitment to the "Wisconsin State Prisons" as opposed to the "Wisconsin Department of Corrections" does not mean he has a …
Flurry of Escapes Emphasizes Prisoners' Desperation by Matthew Clarke by Matt Clarke Last September produced a bumper crop of prison and jail escapes around the country, including a desperate escape by two Texas prisoners that resulted in the death of a guard, a car jacking and two shootouts. Plus a …
Federal Suit Over Wisconsin Suicide Attempt Settles for Millions by Michael Rigby On February 22, 2007, a lawsuit against employees of the Monroe County Jail in Wisconsin settled for between $6,100,000 and $13,100,000. The suit alleged deliberate indifference in a suicide attempt that left a prisoner permanently disabled In 2002, …
Native American Legally Civilly Committed by The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court that allows a Native American to be involuntarily committed as a sexually violent person. The Seventh Circuit's ruling relies substantially on the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) …
Notice Pleading Requirement, Not Factual Pleading, Applies to Access to Courts Claim by The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has held that a prisoner bringing a right of access to the courts claim need only satisfy the notice pleading requirement, but must allege that the prisoner lost a case or …
WI Sex Offender Wrongly Forced to Consent to Videotaping of Treatment Sessions by Dennis Thiel, a Wisconsin state prisoner, was committed as a sexually violent person to the state Department of Health and Family services (DHFS). He sued DHFS personnel in state court for withholding treatment from him because he …
Lawsuit Against WI Supermax Settled for $475,000; General Population Prisoners Fill Beds by In January 2007, Wisconsin officials settled a federal lawsuit filed by a prisoner at the state?s former Supermax facility at Boscobel, now called the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility (WSPF). Canyon Thixton, who arrived at the maximum security …
WI ACLU Overview of Prisoners' First Amendment Rights by Larry Dupuis EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN BAR ASSOCIATION Pro Bono Continuing Legal Education Program Prisoner Litigation An Overview of Prisoners' First Amendment Rights March 29, 2007 Larry Dupuis, ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation IMPORTANT NOTE: This outline was prepared in March 2007. …
Wisconsin Felon Convicted of Voter Fraud for Voting by The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of a convicted felon for voter fraud. During the 2004 election cycle, Kimberly Prude was serving a term of supervised release for a forgery conviction in Wisconsin. Under Wisconsin law, Prude …
Disclosure of HIV-Status is Constitutional and Tort Claim in Wisconsin by On August 29, 1991, a Wisconsin court of appeals held that a trial court should not have granted jail officials' motion for summary judgment on a prisoner's Constitutional- and tort-based claims for publicizing his HIV status. Roger M. Hillman, …
Summary Judgment Reversed on Denial of Prisoner Atheist Group by Bob Williams By Bob Williams The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has reversed a summary judgment against a Wisconsin state prisoner whose request to form a prisoner atheist group was denied by the Wisconsin Department of …
Wisconsin Jail Heart Attack Case Settled for $25,000 by Waukesha County, Wisconsin, paid a prisoner $25,000 to settle claims related to a heart attack he suffered while imprisoned. Mr. Blavat was denied his prescribed heart medication while confined in Waukesha County Jail, causing him to suffer a heart attack. Blavat …
