Michigan Youth Prison Closed But Problems Continue by Michael Rigby During its six years of operation, the Michigan Youth Correctional Facility has been criticized over abuse, suicide attempts, and a policy of filling beds at the maximum-security prison with low level offenders. But even after its closure, the privately run …
Virginia Governor Warner Restores Felons' Voting Rights, Ignites Controversy by by Matthew T. Clarke Then Virginia Governor Mark Warner restored the voting rights of 1,892 felons who had served their sentences, 1,110 of them in 2004. Opposition politicians have accused him of "rubber-stamping" the restoration process. Virginia is one of …
Fourth Circuit Holds Claims Value Relevant to Frivolous Determination by The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a district court may consider the value of the prisoner's claim when determining whether to dismiss it as frivolous under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(i), the in forma pauperis statute. Federal prisoner Paul …
Virginia Federal Court: Over 47 Hours in by Virginia Federal Court: Over 47 Hours in Five-Point Restraint Unconstitutional by Matthew T. Clarke A federal court in Virginia held that prison officials violated a prisoner's constitutional rights when they strapped his ankles, wrists and chest to a bed for over 67 …
What's Wrong With the ACA? by Elizabeth Alexander The American Correctional Association (ACA) is the largest and best-known organization of prison and jail staff in the country. It offers higher education programs designed to train prison industry professionals and, like a traditional professional association, it certifies persons as members in …
Virginia SCC Without Jurisdiction to Hear Prisoner Phone Rate Challenge by Virginia SCC Without Jurisdiction to Hear Prisoner Phone Rate Challenge The Virginia Supreme Court, in an un-published opinion, has held the State Corporation Commission (SCC) does not have jurisdiction to hear challenge to prisoner phone rates. Virginia Department of …
Virginia Prison Drives Women to Depression and Suicide by Gary Hunter Overwhelming depression drove Shawana West to hang herself when she learned that she was being placed in the Structured Living Unit (SLU) at Virginia's Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women. While the attempt was unsuccessful it did not fail to …
Failure to Treat Transsexual for Self-Mutilation States Claim by The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held the failure of prison officials to treat a prisoner for self-mutilation states an Eighth Amendment claim. The civil rights action was filed by Virginia prisoner Ophelia Azriel De'Lonta, who suffers from gender identity disorder …
District of Columbia May Be Liable for Prisoner's Inadequate Medical Care by District of Columbia May Be Liable for Prisoner's Inadequate Medical Care The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, reversing and remanding the district court, held that a D.C. prisoner incarcerated in a Virginia state prison …
Actual Damages Required to Maintain Suit Under Federal Privacy Act by Actual Damages Required to Maintain Suit Under Federal Privacy Act The United States Supreme Court recently held that a showing of actual damages is required in order to maintain a civil action brought under the Privacy Act of 1974. …
Hepatitis C Guidelines, VA DOC Office of Health Services Unit, 2004 Hepatitis C Guidelines DISCUSSION Recently, questions have arisen regarding the use of the non‐formulary protease inhibitors, telaprevir and boceprevir in the management of offenders with Chronic Hepatitis C. In the October 2011 issue of Hepatology, the American Association for …
Virginia Prison Vendors Lose Contracts to Out-of-State Supplier by Gary Hunter Three Virginia retailers who made their money from prisoner earnings now find themselves in financial trouble. In August 2003, when the Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) relinquished management of prison commissaries to St. Louis-based Keefe Supply Co., three Virginia …
Virginia Legislature Awards Wrongfully Convicted Man $1.5 Million by The Virginia legislature has passed a bill awarding nearly $1.5 million to a man who spent 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Marvin Anderson was convicted by a Virginia court in December 1982 of abduction, sodomy, …
PLRA Fee Payments Cease Upon Release from Prison by PLRA Fee Payments Cease Upon Release from Prison The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held a prisoner who was granted in forma pauperis (IFP) status is not required to continue filing fee payments upon release from prison. Prisoner Keith William DeBlasio …
Virginia Drug Treatment Program Still Violates Establishment Clause by Virginia Drug Treatment Program Still Violates Establishment Clause A federal district court in Virginia held that the Therapeutic Community Program (TCP) of the Virginia Department of Corrections violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The court also held, however, that …
Virginia Downsizing Overbuilt Supermaxes by Critics have long claimed that Virginia grossly overestimated its need for supermaxesprisons that ostensibly house "the-worst of the worst." Early in 2003, Virginia undertook actions which reduced the number of beds classified as supermax from 2,400 to 550. This seems to confirm the criticism. "I …
$210,000 Awarded in Virginia Jail Conditions Suit by The court of appeals for the Fourth circuit affirmed a district court in Virginia's order denying qualified immunity and judgment notwithstanding the verdict to Virginia jail officials. Virginia jail prisoners filed suit claiming overcrowding, poor sanitation, understaffing, and lack of a law …
Bad Medicine, No Oversight, Total Secrecy: ACLU Reports on VA DOC Medical Care by Bad Medicine, No Oversight, Total Secrecy: ACLU Reports on Virginia DOC Prisoner Medical Care by Matthew T. Clarke In May 2003, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia issued a report on the status of …
Virginia: Stun Gun Implicated In Death, CMS Implicated In Coverup by by Michael Rigby Documents filed as part of a $204 million lawsuit directly, contradict the Virginia Department of Correction's (DOC) initial assertion that a stun gun played no role in the death of Lawrence James Frazier, and may implicate …
Injunction Prohibits Virginia Grooming Policy Enforcement on BOP Prisoners by A federal district court for the District of Columbia granted an injunction to a class of Rastafarian and Muslim prisoners holding the requirement that those prisoners must cut their hair or shave their beards imposes a substantial burden on their …
