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Life Sentences Commuted for Two Massachusetts Prisoners Convicted of First-Degree Murder
by Keith Sanders
On April 21, 2022, the Massachusetts Parole Board voted unanimously to grant parole to state prisoner William Allen, nine days after taking another unanimous vote to parole another Bay State prisoner, Thomas Koonce, on April 12, 2022. Both men were serving sentences for first-degree murder, and their ...
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More from this issue:
- Seventh Circuit Says No Evidence Illinois Prisoner Lied About Endangerment to Circumvent PLRA’s Three-Strikes Rule, by Matthew Clarke
- The Filth & the Fury: Philly Jails Descend into Murderous Chaos, by J.D. Schmidt
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- $1,425,000 Paid to Epileptic Illinois Detainee Denied Medication Who Suffered Seizure and Fell From Upper Bunk in Jail, by Jayson Hawkins
- Three Killed in Gang Activity at Mississippi Private Prisons Plus High-Profile Escape, But Only One MTC Guard Arrested, by Kevin Bliss
- Federal Judge Allows Retroactive Benefit Reduction for Incarcerated Veteran, by David Reutter
- The Catalog of Carceral Surveillance: Prison Gaming and AR/VR Services, by Beryl Lipton, Cooper Quintin
- California Appellate Court Reverses $2.7 Million Award for Wrongful Death of Woman Murdered by Grandson on Parole, by Jacob Barrett
- Ninth Circuit Strikes Nevada Ban on Muslim Prisoner’s Scented Prayer Oil, Allows Conditions-of-Confinement Claim Also to Proceed, by Mark Wilson
- Nakamoto Group Accused of Rubber-Stamping ICE Facility Inspections, by Alan Gaynor
- The Prisoner-Run Radio Station That’s Reaching Men on Death Row, by Keri Blakinger
- ACLU Wins FOIA Case at Michigan Supreme Court, Which Says Records May Be Exempted Only by Statute, Not Regulation, by David Reutter
- Floridians Face Prison for Voting from Jail, by Jenifer Lockwood, Panagioti Tsolkas
- Tenth Circuit Reinstates Federal Prisoner’s Claim Against BOP Over Denial of Muslim Group Prayer Five Times a Day, by Matthew Clarke
- Reinstating Suit by Louisiana Detainee’s Mother Over His Jail Suicide, Fifth Circuit Schools Lower Court in Meaning of “Standing”, by Matthew Clarke
- Vermont Supreme Court Keeps State Prisoner’s Challenge Alive to DOC’s Use of Expunged Convictions in Classification Decision, by Matthew Clarke
- $825,000 Paid to Estate of New Mexico Jail Detainee Who Died from Heroin Withdrawal, by Matthew Clarke
- Oregon Prison Superintendent Pleads Guilty to Drunk Driving and Interfering With Arrest, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- Eleventh Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity to Jail Guards Who “Did Nothing” in Face of Florida Detainee’s Suicide Threats, by David Reutter
- New York OIG Report Reveals 1,600 State Prisoners Punished Over Faulty Drug Tests, by Anthony Accurso
- $1.4 Million Paid by King County, Washington to Settle Juvenile Solitary Confinement Class Action, by Mark Wilson
- A First Glance in Rear-View Mirror at Pandemic, by Keith Sanders, Ashleigh Dye, Matthew Clarke, Kevin Bliss
- Seventh Circuit Affirms Use Of “Some Evidence” Standard in Reviewing Federal Prisoner’s Disciplinary Violations, by Anthony Accurso
- After $10 Million Settlement in Pennsylvania Jail Mugshot Class-Action, Fewer-Than-Expected Claims Leave Windfall for Expungement Program, by David Reutter
- Kentucky Judge Gives Ex-Jail Guard Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Prisoner Chance to Re-Enlist in Army to Avoid Jail Time, by Keith Sanders
- $177,500 in Settlements Reached with Detainees Assaulted by Guards at Pennsylvania Jail, by Ashleigh Dye
- HRDC Sues Centurion for Records Related to Vermont Prisoner Care, by David Reutter
- Florida and California Experiments Use Direct Cash Assistance to Newly Released Prisoners to Combat Recidivism, by Mark Wilson
- $350,000 Paid to Victim Beaten in Jail by California Sheriff’s Deputy, by Benjamin Tschirhart
- Oregon Court Rules Prisoner’s Admissions in Disciplinary Hearing Violate Miranda, But Harmlessly, by Jacob Barrett
- $35,000 Settlement Paid by California County After Jail Death of Elderly, Mentally Ill Detainee, by Benjamin Tschirhart
- Celebrity Prisoners Profit from NFT Sales of Their Work While Incarcerated, by Edward Lyon
- Idaho Supreme Court Finds Ladderless Bunks a “Sound Discretionary Decision,” But Says Resulting Injury Could Give Rise to Negligence Claim, by Jacob Barrett
- $40,000 Settlement Reached in HRDC Challenge to Nebraska Prison Censorship Policy, by David Reutter
- HRDC Sues Indiana Sheriff Over Censorship at County Jail, by Chuck Sharman
- Arizona Supreme Court Clarifies Rules for Asserting Attorney-Client Privilege for Communications from Jail, Including Texts Using Tablets, by Matthew Clarke
- Final Settlement Agreement Approved in COVID-19 Class Action at California Immigration Detention Center, by Matthew Clarke
- Settlement Improves ADA Accessibility Features, Health Care and Training in Florida Prisons, by Kevin Bliss
- Ohio Supreme Court Partially Reinstates Prisoner’s Pro Se Public Records Request, Sets Damages for Denial at $1,000, by Matthew Clarke
- Life Sentences Commuted for Two Massachusetts Prisoners Convicted of First-Degree Murder, by Keith Sanders
- News in Brief
- Mentally and Physically Disabled Texas Woman Hospitalized After Mistreatment at Jail, by Ashleigh Dye
More from Keith Sanders:
- No Summary Judgment for Private Transportation Company in Maryland Detainee’s Suit Alleging “Horrific” 2,000-Mile Journey, Sept. 15, 2023
- California College Offers Housing, Services to Formally Incarcerated Students, Aug. 15, 2023
- New Report Pats BOP on the Back for Addressing Problems With Restrictive Housing, PREA, Aug. 15, 2023
- Ohio Supreme Court Grants State Prisoner Another $1,000 for Denied Records, Aug. 15, 2023
- Prisoner Who Reached $11,400 Retaliation Settlement with South Dakota Jail Tries Again with DOC, July 15, 2023
- More Success for Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs in Prisons and Jails, July 15, 2023
- $15,001 Verdict Against Delaware Guard for Gaping Prisoner’s Butt During Strip Search, July 15, 2023
- Study Shows COVID-19 Drove Prison Death Rates 50% Higher, June 15, 2023
- Wellpath Subsidiary Out of Australian Women’s Prison After Indigenous Prisoner’s Death, June 15, 2023
- Specialized Police Units Hunt People for ICE, June 15, 2023
More from these topics:
- Fourth Circuit: Maryland’s First-Degree Assault Statute Is Indivisible so Conviction Is Not an ACCA Predicate for Sentencing Enhancement Purposes, May 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Career Offenders, Recidivist Enhancements.
- Seventh Circuit Announces Safety Valve Relief Under § 3553(f) Is Narrower Than Guidelines Firearms Enhancement Under § 2D1.1(b)(1), District Court Erred by Conflating Them, May 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Possession or Use of Firearms, Vicarious Liability, Safety Valve.
- Over 5,000 Prisoners Federally Sentenced Every Month, May 1, 2024. Criminal Prosecution, Statistics/Trends, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
- Eighth Circuit Announces ‘Categorical Approach’ Applies to SORNA Tier Analysis, April 15, 2024. Sex Offender Registration, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Military.
- U.S. Sentencing Commission Greenlights Retroactive Sentence Reductions, March 1, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Guideline Amendment/Variances and Retroactivity.
- Ninth Circuit Announces District Courts Must Either Orally Pronounce All Discretionary ‘Standard’ Conditions of Supervised Release in the Presence of Defendant or Provide Conditions in Writing Prior to Sentencing, Feb. 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Applicable Guidelines Issues, Sentencing Hearing, Right to be Present, Conditions of, Remands/Rehearings/Resentencings.
- Fifth Circuit Announces Revocation Judgments for Violation of Supervised Release Vacated Because Underlying Sentence Vacated, Feb. 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Resentencing, Revocation/Modification of Probation, etc., Revocation Proceedings.
- Federal Sentencing Guidelines Undergo Substantial Amendments, Jan. 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, First Step Act, Violence Against Women Act, Criminal History, Qualifying Offenses, Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Sexual Abuse/Harrassment/Exploitation, Sexual Exploitation of Minors, Federally Protected Rights, Sexual Conduct with Minors, Sentences - Authorized, Safety Valve, Acceptance of Responsibility, Preservation of Judicial Resources, Legal or Factual Challenges - assertion of.
- Third Circuit: Pennsylvania Conviction for First-Degree Aggravated Assault Does Not Require Physical Force so Is Not Qualifying Predicate for ACCA Purposes, Dec. 15, 2023. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Three Strikes, Career Offenders, Three Strikes Statutes/Rule, Recidivist Enhancements.
- Sixth Circuit: District Court Committed Procedural Error by Impermissibly Ceding Its Discretion to Congress to Determine Guidelines’ Crack-to-Powder Ratio at Sentencing, Dec. 15, 2023. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, Sentencing Findings, Miscalculation of the Guidelines Sentencing Range.