Worst of the Worst? by Prison officials have attempted to justify the cruel and inhumane conditions of confinement in control units by claiming that only the "worst of the worst" are confined in them. PLN editor Paul Wright has made the rounds of Washington state's control units. At the Intensive …
Florida Jail Workers Busted in Bribery Investigation by On Dec. 4, 1998, fourteen Miami-Dade County jail employees were indicted on state bribery charges and federal marijuana and cocaine trafficking conspiracy charges. Five other jail workers were suspended pending the outcome of internal investigations. The indictments followed a year-long probe by …
Florida Jail Guard Found Guilty in Prisoner's Death by On December 22, 1998, former Osceola County, Florida jail guard Greg Wilson was convicted of manslaughter in connection with the March 1997 death of prisoner Daniel B. Sagers. Wilson and several other guards, including Wilson Santiago and Gail Edwards, were trying …
Tough on Prisoners Florida Sheriff Avoids Prison by In the March, 1999, issue of PLN we reported the arrest of Marion County, Florida, sheriff Ken Ergle, on corruption charges. Ergle had previously gained notoriety for housing county jail prisoners in tents under draconian conditions and charging them "rent" and a …
Prison Realty Board Member Settles Ethics Complaints by Prof. Charles W. Thomas, director of the Private Corrections Project at the University of Florida and a board member of Prison Realty Corp., has long been criticized for his close connections with the private prison companies he researches [see: "University professor shills …
Denial of Exercise Is "Atypical and Significant" by Denial of Exercise Is "Atypical and Significant" The U.S. court of appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that Florida state prisoners, who are being held in Close Management (CM) status, have a state-created liberty interest in outdoor exercise, which is protected by …
Florida Guards Acquitted in Brutality Case by Alex Friedmann Florida prisoner John Edwards, 28, an HIV+ double-murderer serving a life sentence, was transferred to the Charlotte Corr. Institution (CCI) on Aug. 18, 1997 after biting a Zephyrhills prison guard on the cheek. According to federal prosecutors, once Edwards arrived at …
Florida Prison Erupts by On March 17, 1998, shortly after Hendry Correctional Institution (HCI) began feeding the prisoners supper, a melee broke out on the yard in front of the chowhall. Within moments, several guards, including the shift supervisor, were lying unconscious in the dirt. The seeds of discord were …
Juveniles Held Hostage for Profit by CSC in Florida by Alex Friedmann According to a consultant hired by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Pahokee Youth Development Center (Juvenile prison) operated by the Correctional Services Corporation (CSC) kept ten juvenile detainees beyond their release dates for no other reason …
Florida Porn Ban Challenged by On December 31, 1998, an amended complaint was filed in the US district court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami challenging the Florida Department of Corrections' ban on sexually explicit material. In 1998 the Florida DOC changed Florida Administrative Code (FAC) 33-3.012 to …
Federal Prisoners Must Exhaust Administrative Remedies Before Suing by The court of appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has held that federal prisoners must exhaust administrative remedies before filing a Bivens suit against prison officials. Michael Alexander, a federal prisoner, filed a Bivens suit challenging the constitutionality of prison regulations prohibiting …
Publication Reviews by Voices Behind the Walls is a bi-monthly newsletter published by Pennsylvania prisoners. Each issue covers news and events in the PA prison system as well as commentaries on the criminal justice system. Subscriptions are $10 for prisoners and $20 for everyone else. Contact: VBTW, P.O. Box 474, …
Suicides Plague Florida Women's Prison by Alex Friedmann Florence Krell, a 40-year-old mother of two serving an 18-month sentence for grand theft after she failed to return her boyfriend's rental car, hanged herself from her cell door at the Jefferson Corr. Institution on October 11, 1998. She had been at …
Florida Nicotine Addiction Suit Settled by The cover story in the January, 1998, issue of PLN , "Smoking, Lies and Hypocrisy," by Paul Wright, mentioned the case of Thomas Waugh. Waugh, a Florida prisoner, had sued Florida prison officials for failing to provide him with any type of treatment to …
"Tough" Florida Sheriff Arrested by "Tough" Florida Sheriff Arrested Admitting he committed a "sinful, wrong and criminal act," Marion County (FL) Sheriff Ken Ergle resigned October 15, 1998, after state officials charged him with grand theft and official misconduct. Ergle surrendered to Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigators, who …
No Right to Mutual Legal Assistance in 11th Circuit by The court of appeals for the eleventh circuit held that actual injury is a threshold requirement in all prisoner access to courts claims. Without such a showing, under the doctrine of standing, federal courts do not have jurisdiction to address …
University Professor Shills for Private Prison Industry by Alex Friedmann Much of the statistical and academic information regarding prison privatization that is reported in the media (and consequently relied upon by lawmakers deciding whether to contract with private prison companies) comes from Charles W. Thomas, director of the Private Corrections …
PLN Writer Settles Nude Photo Suit for $3,000 by On June 2, 1998, a Florida prisoner and Assistant Attorney General struck a settlement deal in the midst of a federal trial. The prisoner regained possession of two nude photos confiscated by DOC officials in 1993 and received approximately $3,000 in …
Juvenile Crime Still Pays -- But at What Cost? by Alex Friedmann Juvenile Crime Still Pays – But at What Cost? by Alex Friedmann [Last February, PLN published a cover article, "Juvenile Crime Pays," concerning the proliferation of for-profit juvenile justice services. This month we revisit the topic following recent …
