Florida Finally Learns the Meaning of Ex Post Facto by In a one paragraph memorandum opinion the Supreme Court of Florida held that the retroactive cancellation of provisional credits, previously awarded pursuant to statute, violates the ex post facto restrictions of the state and federal constitutions. As a result of …
Prison Disciplinary Proceedings Cognizable Under § 1983 in Florida by Prison Disciplinary Proceedings Cognizable Under § 1983 In Florida AFlorida state appellate court held that a denial of staff assistance, documentary evidence, and witness testimony in a prison disciplinary hearing states a due process claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, …
$60,000 Judgement Against Florida DOC Reinstated by James Quigley A Florida appellate court reversed a trial court order setting aside a jury verdict against the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) and granting the DOC a new trial. The court directed the lower tribunal to reinstate the jury award of $60,000 …
No Immunity in Jail Suicide for Medical Contractor by Afederal district court in Florida held that genuine issues of fact existed as to whether a jail psychologist and the private corporation that employed him had acted with deliberate indifference to a pretrial detainee's health needs, obviating summary judgment on the …
Florida Prisoners Have Property Interest Under DOC Rules by A Florida appellate court held that Title 33 of the Florida Administrative Code, the rules of the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC), affords Florida state prisoners a vested right to possess property insofar as the property was authorized and the prisoner …
Pretrial Detainees Not Covered by FLSA by Pretrial Detainees Not Covered By FLSA The court of appeals for the eleventh circuit held that pretrial detainees who perform services at the direction of jail officials for the benefit of the facility are not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act …
No Immunity for Florida Private Jail by The district court for the middle district of Florida held that the sheriff, the county and a private corporation operating the county jail were liable for detaining an arrestee for 30 days without a probable cause hearing. The court also held that monetary …
Florida PRIDE Employees Denied Minimum Wages by James Quigley The court of appeals for the eleventh circuit affirmed summary judgment against Florida state prisoners who claimed entitlement to the federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201-219. The court held that the private, non …
PRIDE Eyes Private Markets by Florida's prison industry program, known as PRIDE, is developing a pilot program to allow private manufacturers to "outsource" contracts that would have PRIDE furniture plant workers produce furniture for eventual sale on the open market. Success there could lead to more "outsourcing" contracts which would …
Leon County Employees Replaced by Slaves by Leon County, Florida, sheriff Larry Campbell beamed with pride as he watched one of his campaign promises come true. Fourteen zebra-striped prisoners filed onto a bus waiting to take them to their first day of forced labor clearing brush along county roads. Campbell …
Eleventh Circuit Approves and Applies the PLRA by James Quigley By James Quigley The court of appeals for the eleventh circuit held that the provisions of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) apply to cases pending prior to its enactment; that the filing fee requirements of the Act do not …
Eleventh Circuit Reinstates Beating Verdict by The court of appeals for the eleventh circuit reversed a judgment as a matter of law entered against a Florida prisoner after a jury found in his favor. The court reinstated both the verdict and a damage award for the prisoner. The court also …
Managed Care Infects Prison Health Services by by Adrian Lomax In September, 1996, Melody Bird complained to guards at Florida's Pinellas County Jail that she was experiencing severe chest pains and having trouble breathing. Nurses at the jail, finding no discernible blood pressure, concluded that Bird was suffering a heart …
Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down Gain Time Loss by The Florida supreme court held that a DOC Policy denying gain time to prisoners eligible to receive it at the time of their conviction violated the ex post facto clauses of the Florida and United States constitutions. In 1996 the Florida …
Florida Paradox of Prisons, Politics and Profits by For the past three years the Florida state legislature has surfed the get-tough wave, enacting laws to clamp down on Florida's 65,000 state prisoners. They have enacted laws to remove weights and recreation equipment, eliminate funding for prison TV sets, and were …
Florida Ban on Prisoner Legal Help Struck Down by A state district court of appeals held that Florida DOC rules were unconstitutional to the extent that they purport to prohibit prisoners in disciplinary confinement from filing federal petitions seeking habeas corpus, or civil rights complaints alleging violations of federally protected …
PLRA Filing Fees Not Applicable to Habeas by The tenth and eleventh circuit courts of appeals held that the PLRA's filing fee requirements for indigent prisoners do not apply to habeas corpus petitions. The five other circuits to consider this question have reached the same result. Thus, indigent prisoners need …
RFRA Allows Redaction of Religious Publication by The court of appeals for the eleventh circuit held that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, is not violated when prison officials censor only portions of a religious publication. This is the first eleventh circuit ruling to interpret the …
Ex-Sheriff Sex Offender Retains Pension by In the July 1995 issue of PLN we reported "51 Months for Sex With Prisoners," about Gulf County (FL) sheriff Al Harrison, then 52, who was convicted of seven misdemeanor counts of violating the civil rights of five female prisoners over a period of …
Florida Private Prison Criticized by Dan Pens by Glenn Wright and Dan Pens Louisville, Kentucky based private prison vendor U.S. Corrections Corporation (USCC) was sharply criticized by Florida's Auditor General in three separate reports issued by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA). The reports were the …
