More from this issue:

1. Coronavirus: A Nationwide Survey of the Push for Early Release as Pandemic Fears Grow, by Christopher Zoukis
2. Early Prison Release for Gangsta Rapper Sped Up by Coronavirus, by Edward Lyon
3. From the Editor, by Paul Wright
4. Prioritizing Jails Over Hospitals Has Made Rural US More Vulnerable to COVID-19, by Jack Norton, Jasmine Heiss
5. May Update: Protect Yourself and Your Facility from COVID-19, by Michael D. Cohen, MD
6. Recent Exonerees Give the Public Advice on Being Locked Down: You Have No Idea, by Dale Chappell
7. Lawsuit: Release Prisoners in Virus Tinderbox to Home Confinement, by David Reutter
8. Prison Postcards: Prisoners Write About Fears, Incompetence, at Their Facilities, by Ken Silverstein
9. Rikers Island Prisoners Helped with Preparations to Bury the Coronavirus Dead
10. Federal Judge “Troubled” by Arizona Prison Director’s Response to Coronavirus; State Rep Calls it “Reckless”, by Dale Chappell
11. California Publishes Use of Force in Prisons Report, by Anthony Accurso
12. Connecticut Prisoners Win Lawsuit After Hepatitis Exposure, by Edward Lyon
13. Nevada Prisoner Prevails in Good Time Deprivation Appeal, by Edward Lyon
14. California Three-Judge Court Denies Emergency Motion to Reduce Prison Population During Pandemic, by Christopher Zoukis
15. Arkansas Supreme Court Denies Prisoner Preliminary Injunction on Religious Issues, by Anthony Accurso
16. Federal Court Grants Default Summary Judgment in Favor of Indiana Prisoner as Sanction for State’s Lies, by Dale Chappell
17. How Prepared Are State Prison Systems for a Viral Pandemic?, by Peter Wagner, Emily Widra
18. Suit: Mississippi Man Sentenced to Two Days Hangs Himself After Jail Kept Him 52 Days Longer, by Douglas Ankney
19. Emergency Cancellation of Attorney Visits Subject to Court Oversight, by David Reutter
20. Undisclosed Settlement in Kentucky Case a Textbook Case of Negligent Privatized Prison Medical Care, by David Reutter
21. Illinois Supreme Court: Settlements with Private Companies When Contracted for Government Service Are Public Record, by Kevin Bliss
22. Coalition Fights to Ensure Jailed Voters in Arizona Can Vote, by Scott Grammer
23. Mass Incarceration, Meet COVID-19 Opportunity to release prisoners with little public safety risk is clear, by Sharon Dolovich
24. Multiple Indictments, Prison Sentences, for Guards and Officials at Violence-Plagued Cleveland Jail, by Edward Lyon
25. Another Prisoner Dies at Tennessee Prison Run By CoreCivic, by Matthew Clarke
26. Texas Prison Health Care Costs at Record High Despite Population Reduction, by Matthew Clarke
27. DOJ to Treat Immigrants Like Criminals by Collecting DNA Samples, by Kevin Bliss
28. Minnesota Prison Bans “No Touch” Rule, by Edward Lyon
29. Alabama Grandma Sentenced to Life on Drug Charge Finally Paroled, by David Reutter
30. ICE Diverts Needed Face Masks from Medical Professionals, by Kevin Bliss
31. Paroled New Yorker Wrongfully Confined; Awarded $3,250, by Kevin Bliss
32. Michigan Permits Prisoners to Seek Financial Assistance for College, by Bill Barton
33. New Yorker Held Three Years at Rikers Island Before Acquittal, by Matthew Clarke
34. Arizona DOC Raids Prisoner-Generated Funds to Pay for Lock Repairs; Whistleblower Says Records Being Falsified, by Matthew Clarke
35. Kentucky Governor’s Executive Order Restores Voting Rights for Felons, by David Reutter
36. Women Advocate for the Release of COVID-19 At-Risk Prisoners in Indiana, by Kevin Bliss
37. D.C. Juvenile Offender Finally Released After 26 Years Behind Bars, by Bill Barton
38. Arizona Court Denies Emergency COVID-19 Motion, by David Reutter
39. Ohio Prisoner’s Facebook Live a Plea for Help During COVID-19 Pandemic
40. Santa Rita Jail Accused of Slave Labor in California Class Action, by Kevin Bliss
41. Open Prison: Lessons from the Past, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
42. $25 Million Jury Award to Baltimore City Prisoner For Guards Setting Up Retaliatory Gang Attack, by Dale Chappell
43. Chatham County Jail Reverses On Book Ban But Limits Number of Publications, by David Reutter
44. Third Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Pennsylvania Prisoners’ Dry Cell Suit, by David Reutter
45. Leaving Prison for a Real Home in California, by Edward Lyon
46. Health Care Services Killing Women at Virginia Prison, by David Reutter
47. $120,000 Settlement for Minnesota Woman Forced to Remove Hijab for Booking, by David Reutter
48. News in Brief

More from Kevin Bliss:

• LGBTQ+ Detainees at Rikers Island Suffer Under Mayor Adams, Sept. 15, 2023
• Government Watchdog Adds BOP to List at “High Risk” of Mismanagement, Sept. 15, 2023
• At Massive and Corrupt Philippine Prison, Contraband Includes Jacuzzis and Horses, Sept. 15, 2023
• Second Circuit Affirms $600,000 Punitive Damage Award to New York Prisoner Brutally Beaten by Guards, Sept. 15, 2023
• Maryland Sheriff Charged with Illegally Procuring Machine Guns from ATF, Sept. 15, 2023
• Voting Rights Restoration for Virginia Ex-Felons Once Again Subject to Governor’s Whim, Sept. 15, 2023
• Prison Profiteer Who Chairs Christian Seminary Board Called Not Very ‘Christlike’, Aug. 15, 2023
• Menstruation Weaponized Against Women in Prison, Aug. 15, 2023
• Idaho Revives Firing Squads, Aug. 15, 2023
• Pennsylvania Jail Hit With Over $1.5 Million in Overages for Guards, Healthcare, July 15, 2023

More from these topics:

• Lawsuit By California Youth Alliance Prompts County Probation Chiefs to Dissolve Secretive Nonprofit, April 26, 2024. Contractor Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Open Meetings, Public Records, Public Records Act, halfway houses, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release.
• New York Governor Signs Law Sealing Millions of Criminal Records From Public View, April 15, 2024. Disclosure of Records, Public Records, Public Records Act, Criminal History.
• South Carolina Sheriff Ordered to Pay $37,500 in Fees and Costs in Jail FOIA Case, March 1, 2024. Attorney Fee Awards, Public Records Act, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
• Michigan Supreme Court: DOC Owes Attorney Fees in Public Records Case Even if Plaintiff Is Represented Pro Bono, Feb. 1, 2024. Attorney Fee Awards, Public Records, Public Records Act.
• Ohio Prisoner Wins $2,000 Settlement for Guard Abuse Claims, Loses Appeal to Uncover Identity of Prison Officials Who Negotiated It, Feb. 1, 2024. Settlements, Mandamus, Public Records, Public Records Act.
• See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Treat No Evil: Centurion and the Curse of For-Profit Prison Healthcare, Jan. 1, 2024. MHM Inc., Corizon, Centurion, Misconduct/Corruption, Contractor Misconduct, Government Misconduct, Retaliation, Systemic Medical Neglect, Cancer, Private Contractors, Frivolous Litigation, Disclosure of Records, Declaratory Judgment, Public Records, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, PLN Litigation, Censorship, Articles About PLN, Public Records Act, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), HRDC Litigation.
• $7.75 Million Paid by San Diego County After Jail Detainee Severely Injured in Fall from Top Bunk, Jan. 1, 2024. Guard Misconduct, Medication, Seizures, Failure to Treat, Bedding, Jail Specific, Disclosure of Records, Public Records.
• Ohio Supreme Court Awards Prisoner $700 From Sheriff Who Failed to Comply with Public Records Request, Nov. 15, 2023. Settlements, Public Records.
• Academics Find Prisoners Denied Access to Public Information, Oct. 15, 2023. Public Records, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
• Utah Prisoner Blows Whistle on Abuse of Federal Grants, Leading to $1.55 Million Settlement – And New Law Restricting Prisoner Records Requests, Oct. 15, 2023. Whistleblowing, Settlements, Disclosure of Records, Public Records, Federal Funds.