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First Circuit Holds RLUIPA Does Not Provide Relief from Transfer to Remote Prison Where Opportunities for Religious Exercise Are Limited

Article • September 9, 2016

Filed under: Rural Prisons, RLUIPA, Religious Freedom, Religious Practices

First Circuit Holds RLUIPA Does Not Provide Relief from Transfer to Remote Prison Where Opportunities for Religious Exercise Are Limited by The First Circuit has held that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("RLUIPA"), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc et seg., does not provide a basis for relief where …

$2 Million Award to New Hampshire Guards Falsely Accused of Beating Prisoner

Article • August 24, 2016

Filed under: Employee Litigation

$2 Million Award to New Hampshire Guards Falsely Accused of Beating Prisoner by On May 19, 2008, a New Hampshire jury awarded nearly $2 million to two prison guards who were fired when other guards lied about their involvement in an assault on a prisoner. After guards Shawn Stone and …

Suit Filed Over New Hampshire DOC’s Restrictive Mail Policy

Article • May 5, 2016 • from PLN May, 2016

Filed under: Mail Regulations, First Amendment, Children of Prisoners

Suit Filed Over New Hampshire DOC’s Restrictive Mail Policy by On December 18, 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer and Nelson, P.A. filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a three-year-old child and his grandmother, claiming that the New Hampshire Department of …

Lifetime Registration of Low-level Sex Offenders found Excessive, Unconstitutional in New Hampshire

Article • March 31, 2016 • from PLN April, 2016

Filed under: Sex Offender Registration, Sex Offenders (Discrimination), Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

Lifetime Registration of Low-level Sex Offenders found Excessive, Unconstitutional in New Hampshire by The New Hampshire Supreme Court held in February 2015 that requiring lifetime registration without review of the risk that low-level sex offenders present to the public is unconstitutional. The Court ordered that such offenders must be provided …

Y.F. v. Wrenn, NH, Amended Complaint, Censorship of Drawings, 2016

Brief • March 22, 2016

Filed under: Mail Regulations, Censorship, First Amendment

Y.F. v. Wrenn, NH, Amended Complaint, Censorship of Drawings, 2016 Case 1:15-cv-00510-PB Document 9 Filed 03/22/16 Page 1 of 21 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ____________________________________ ) Y.F., individually and as next of friend ) of minor C.F., and Catherine Menninger, ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) v. …

Review of Facility Rfps, NH DOC, April, 2013

Publication • February 9, 2016

Filed under: Private Prisons, Corrections Audits

Review of Facility Rfps, NH DOC, April, 2013 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Department of Corrections and Department of Administrative Services Report on Review of Correctional Facility RFPs 1356-12, 1380-12 and 1387-12 April 2013 1 I. Release of RFPs Chapter Law 224 of the 2011 legislative session directed the New Hampshire …

First Circuit: First Amendment Right to Film Traffic Stops

Article • November 17, 2015

Filed under: Police Misconduct, First Amendment, False Arrest

First Circuit: First Amendment Right to Film Traffic Stops by First Circuit: First Amendment Right to Film Traffic Stops On May 23, 2014, the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied an appeal filed by the Weare, New Hampshire, police department and several of its officers challenging a district court …

Brien v. Rickingham County, NH, Complaint, Medical Negligence - Jail, 2015

Brief • November 16, 2015

Filed under: Injury -- Misc.

Brien v. Rickingham County, NH, Complaint, Medical Negligence - Jail, 2015 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ROCKINGHAM, SS. SUPERIOR COURT ALAN BRIEN, SR. PO Box 781 Seabrook, NH 03874 v. ROCKINGHAM COUNTY 119 North Road Brentwood, NH 03833 PARTIES 1. The plaintiff, ALAN BRIEN, SR., at all times relevant was an …

New Hampshire Prison Authorities Enjoined from Denying Kosher Diet to Observant Orthodox Jew

Article • November 10, 2015

Filed under: RLUIPA, Religious Diet

New Hampshire Prison Authorities Enjoined from Denying Kosher Diet to Observant Orthodox Jew by New Hampshire Prison Authorities Enjoined from Denying Kosher Diet to Observant Orthodox Jew In May 2007, a Federal District Court enjoined New Hampshire prison authorities from denying a kosher diet to an observant Orthodox Jew as …

New Hampshire Legislative Report Criticizes Prisoner Work Release Controls

Article • November 10, 2015

Filed under: Work Release, State Legislation

New Hampshire Legislative Report Criticizes Prisoner Work Release Controls by Derek Gilna New Hampshire Legislative Report Criticizes Prisoner Work Release Controls         by Derek Gilna        State legislatures nationwide, confronted with tight budgetary constraints, have demanded more efficiency out of the programs they fund, and New Hampshire is no exception.  The Office …

ACLU-NH - Debtors' Prison in New Hampshire, 2015

Publication • November 2, 2015

Filed under: Statistics/Trends, Indigent Defense, Money/Property, Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Restitution

ACLU-NH - Debtors' Prison in New Hampshire, 2015 Debtors’ Prisons in New Hampshire A Report by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire Published September 23, 2015 www.aclu-nh.org Table of Contents Executive Summary………………………………..1 Debtors’ Prisons and the Law …………………….3 The Investigation and Quantitative Findings ……5 Analysis ……………………….…………….……..7 Recommendations………………………………...11 Personal …

Kezer v. Hillsborough County, NH, Complaint, Pregnancy - Deliberate Indifference, 2015

Brief • October 29, 2015

Filed under: OB/GYN

Kezer v. Hillsborough County, NH, Complaint, Pregnancy - Deliberate Indifference, 2015 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ****************************** Amanda Kezer, * Plaintiff, * * -against * * Hillsborough County, Matthew Masewic, MD, * Denise Ryan, LPN, Lynda Wheeler, RN, * FNU Morrison, FNU Barnes, FNU McKee, …

Valley Street Jail Pays SHU Prisoners $244,000

Article • September 11, 2015

Filed under: Jail Misconduct, Jail Specific, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement

Valley Street Jail Pays SHU Prisoners $244,000 by Derek Gilna Valley Street Jail Pays SHU Prisoners $244,000 by Derek Gilna Valley Street Jail in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, will pay $244,000 to three former prisoners after an adverse 2004 jury verdict put the spotlight on substandard conditions in the jail’s …

Sanders v. NMCD, NM, Complaint, Wrongful Death, 2015

Brief • August 3, 2015

Filed under: Wrongful Release, Wrongful Death, Murder by Parolees, Negligence/Reckless Endangerment

Sanders v. NMCD, NM, Complaint, Wrongful Death, 2015 FILED IN MY OFFICE DISTRICT COURT CLERK 8/3/2015 9:25: 14 AM James A. Noel Dora Bozovic STATE OF NEW :MEXICO COUNTY OF BERNALILLO SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT J\rIAUREEN A. SANDERS, as personal representative of the Estate of KATHERINE PAQUIN, and CHERI RODRIGUEZ, Plaintiffs …

Ouwerkerk v. Rockingham County, NH, 2nd Amended Complaint, Failure to Protect - Jail, 2015

Brief • May 2, 2015

Filed under: Failure to Protect (General), Failure to Protect (Juveniles)

Ouwerkerk v. Rockingham County, NH, 2nd Amended Complaint, Failure to Protect - Jail, 2015 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ****************************** Peter Ouwerkerk, * Plaintiff, * * -against * * Rockingham County, Stephen Church, * Superintendent, Rockingham County * Department of Corrections, * Correction Officers Edna …

Kennedy v. Rockingham County, NH, Complaint, jail transgender false gender classification sexual assault suicide, 2015

Brief • January 26, 2015

Filed under: Prisoner-Prisoner Assault, Jail Misconduct, Jail Specific, Suicides, Discrimination (Transgender), Failure to Protect (Transgender)

Kennedy v. Rockingham County, NH, Complaint, jail transgender false gender classification sexual assault suicide, 2015 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ****************************** Aja Kennedy, * Plaintiff, * * -against * * DOCKET NO. Rockingham County, Correction Officers * “John” Este, and John and Jane Does, * …

HRDC letter to NH legislature on prison privatization Jan 2013

Publication • January 10, 2015

Filed under: Private Prisons, HRDC Publications

HRDC letter to NH legislature on prison privatization Jan 2013 HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE CENTER Dedicated to Protecting Human Rights www.prisonlegalnews.org afriedmann@prisonlegalnews.org Office: 802-257-1342 Direct Dial: 615-495-6568 P.O. Box 2420 W. Brattleboro, VT 05303 January 31, 2013 Rep. Laura Pantelakos, Chair House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee RM 204 LOB …

Merrell v. Hillsborough County, NH, Complaint, Sexual Harassment - Assault, 2014

Brief • December 12, 2014

Filed under: Staff-Prisoner Assault, Staff-Prisoner Harassment

Merrell v. Hillsborough County, NH, Complaint, Sexual Harassment - Assault, 2014 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ************************* ***** LAUREN MERRELL, * Plaintiff, * * -against* * * CORRECTIONS OFFICERS “JOHN” SMITH, * “JOHN” O’MALLEY, * and * HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, * Defendants * ***************************** * DOCKET # 1:14-cv-00313-AJ …

Mendez Mejia v. Hillsborough County, NH, Complaint, jail mentally disabled inmate assault beating restraints, 2014

Brief • November 5, 2014

Filed under: Guard Misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Failure to Protect (General), Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness)

Mendez Mejia v. Hillsborough County, NH, Complaint, jail mentally disabled inmate assault beating restraints, 2014 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ****************************** * BRAYAN MENDEZ MEJIA, * Plaintiff, * * -against* * HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SGT. TIMOTHY * FITZPATRICK, and CORRECTION OFFICERS * JOHN DOE, JANE DOE, and JOHN …

Parker v. Hillsborough Co., NH, Complaint, Jail Opiate Withdrawal, 2014

Brief • October 28, 2014

Filed under: Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal

Parker v. Hillsborough Co., NH, Complaint, Jail Opiate Withdrawal, 2014 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT HILLSBOROUGH, SS. NORTHERN DISTRICT JOHN PARKER v. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY and MATTHEW MASEWIC, MD PARTIES 1. The plaintiff, JOHN PARKER, at all times relevant was an inmate at the Hillsborough County House of Corrections, Valley …