Withholding Interest Does Not Violate Takings Clause by A federal district court in California held that prison officials did not violate the Takings Clause by failing to pay interest on funds deposited by prisoners into non-interest bearing "Inmate Trust Accounts" (ITAs). The court also held that: applying interest earned on …
Race-Based Religious Policy Violates Equal Protection Clause by A federal district court in Virginia held that a race-based prison policy preventing non-Native American prisoners from obtaining Native American spiritual items violated the Equal Protection Clause. The court issued an injunction enjoining the application of the policy, based solely on race. …
Attorney Fee Award Against Prisoner Reduced by A federal court in Virginia reduced an attorney fees award against a prisoner who filed a factually frivolous suit from $28,719 to $900. John McGlothin, a Virginia state prisoner, filed a civil rights suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the warden and …
VA Warden Fired in Foodbank Theft by On October 13, 1999, Vanessa Crawford was fired as warden of the Pocahontas Correctional Unit. Two other unidentified Virginia DOC employees were also fired. The firings stemmed From the theft of food at the Central Virginia Foodbank (CVF). CVF was started in 1995 …
Virginia Court Requires Pro Se Prisoner Plaintiff to Appear Via Video Conference by by Matthew T. Clarke A federal district court in Virginia has held that a pro se prisoner must present his civil rights case to the jury via video conferencing. Michael S. Edwards, a Virginia state prisoner, filed …
Virginia DOC Says 'No Pattern' of Sexual Abuse by In 1999 the Virginia Department of Corrections conducted an internal review of 44 complaints of sexual assault, harassment and fraternization between prisoners and staff of the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, all since the prison opened in April 1998. Even though …
Abuse of Force at Virginia's Supermax by Dan Pens Shoot 'Em if They Step Out of Line by Dan Pens Shortly after publication of the July PLN, cover article: "Strip Mining Human Rights in Virginia's Supermax Dungeons", PLN received a letter from a prisoner at Red Onion, one of Virginia's …
BOP Can't Keep Prisoner Who Refuses to Pay Fine Indefinitely by A federal district court judge in Virginia held that a prisoner's refusal to sign an agreement to pay a court ordered fine does not allow the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to keep him imprisoned indefinitely. This ruling amply illustrates …
Virginia Juvenile Dies of Accidental Heart Attack by Dan Pens The state police were phoned and asked to send a trooper to formally charge Dandridge with assault. Meanwhile, Oak Ridge officials say, the youth was observed every five minutes through his cell door window. Nobody went into the cell to …
Prisoner Withstands Summary Judgment on Cell Condition Claim by A federal district court in Virginia held that a genuine issue of material fact as to whether a prisoner's cell was adequately heated, had bedding and was maintained in a sanitary condition, precluded summary judgment. Virginia Department of Corrections prisoner Robb …
Evidentiary Hearing Allowed in PLRA Consent Decree Terminations by The court of appeals for the Fourth circuit reaffirmed that the Prison Litigation Reform Act's (PLRA) consent decree termination provisions are constitutional and also held that the PLRA provides no avenue for district courts to make after the fact findings to …
Strip Mining Human Rights in Virginia's Supermax Dungeons by Dan Pens Red Onion State Prison stands out like a hideous scar among southwest Virginia's otherwise beautiful, rolling and wooded hills. Viewed from the air it looks like a mountain whose crown was hacked off and leveled flat. I remember looking …
Virginia Prison "Fire Trap" Finding Reversed by Virginia Prison "Fire Trap" Finding Reversed Virginia's state fire marshal overruled an inspector's recommendation to close a prison "fire trap" after reinspecting the building himself at the request of the warden, according to an Associated Press report. Carolyn R. Williams, a state fire …
State Audit Exposes VCE Mismanagement by Aweek after the Island of Dr. Moreau scandal broke, the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts released an audit of Virginia Correctional Enterprises (VCE) covering the period between July 1, 1996 and May 11, 1998. The report said that VCE posted an operating loss of …
$28,719 Assessed Against Pro Se Litigant by Afederal district court in Virginia assessed $28,719.25 in defendants' attorney fees against an unsuccessful pro se prisoner litigant but declined to impose Rule 11 sanctions. John McGlothlin, a Virginia state prisoner, filed suit claiming violation of his right to the free exercise of …
Virginia Prisons 'Wide Open to Business' by Dan Pens Slave Labor Meets Hollywood In a warehouse near the Baltimore airport in 1997, California businessman Trek Kelly observed a supplier peeling tags off crates of merchandise. Later he found a tag that had been overlooked. A tag with the words "Virginia …
Truth Takes a Holiday in Virginia DOC Press Release by Virginia state prisons chief Ron Angelone announced in July, 1997, that he would drop his blanket ban on reporters entering prisons for face-to-face interviews with prisoners, but said reporters would still not be allowed into 10 of Virginia's 52 state …
PLRA Filing Fee Provisions Not Retroactive by The court of appeals for the fourth circuit held that the provisions of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) that require prisoners filing civil actions or appeals in forma pauperis (IFP) to ultimately pay the filing fees in full, do not apply retroactively. …
4th Circuit Establishes Detainee Excessive Force Standard by The court of appeals for the fourth circuit, sitting en bane, held that the constitution does not prohibit the police from slapping pretrial detainees or inserting pens in their noses, while threatening to "rip it open," provided there is no sign of …
Fingers in the PIE by D.H. I thought you might be interested in the Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE) program that was implemented at select Virginia prisons in 1997. The program allows the VDOC to contract outside of Virginia for prisoners to perform labor at minimum wage. I worked in the …
