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Department of Justice Reports on Two Decades of Prisoner Suicides
by Matt Clarke
When actor Peter Robbins died by suicide in California on January 18, 2022, the news saddened fans of Charlie Brown, whose voice he provided for animated Peanuts specials in the 1960s. But Robbins, 65, also struggled with mental illness behind bars, spending four years in …
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More from this issue:
- Wellpath Founder and CEO Pleads Guilty to Federal Bribery Charges, by David Reutter
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- JPay Founder Ryan Shapiro Indicted for Securities Fraud, by Kevin Bliss
- Guards Not Vaxxing Across the U.S., by Jo Ellen Nott
- Virginia DOC Terminates Contract with Armor Correctional Healthcare, by Ashleigh Dye
- “The Worst Prison in New York State”, by Victoria Law
- $500,000 Default Judgment for Tennessee Woman Sexually Assaulted by Probation Officer, by David Reutter
- Settlement Reached to Protect Hawaii Prisoners from COVID-19, by David Reutter
- HRDC Wins Appeal in Florida Public Records Request Case Against Armor Correctional Health Services
- Show Me the Money: Tracking the Companies that Have a Lock on Sending Funds to Incarcerated People, by Stephen Raher, Tiana Herring
- BOP Greenlights Sex Reassignment Surgery for Federal Prisoner in Texas, by Matthew Clarke
- Department of Justice Reports on Two Decades of Prisoner Suicides, by Matthew Clarke
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Guard’s Lawsuit Claiming Other Guards Raped Her in Texas Prison
- Michigan DOC Agrees to Expand Recognition of Religious Groups After DOJ Investigation
- Michigan Prisons Ordered to Provide Jewish Prisoners Meat and Dairy on Sabbath and Holidays; Sixth Circuit Affirms, by David Reutter
- Former Florida Prison Guard Sentenced for Conspiracy to Assault Youthful Offenders
- Federal Court Hears that Mental Healthcare in Louisiana Prison is “Almost Non-existent”, by Matthew Clarke
- Federal Judge Finds Alabama DOC Mental Health Care Horrendous, Orders: Start Hiring, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Tenth Circuit: Mentally Ill Prisoners Have No Clearly Established Right to Be Kept Out of Solitary Confinement, by Jacob Barrett
- $40,251 Default Judgment for Detainee in Malicious Prosecution by Georgia Police Officer
- Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Alleging Inadequate COVID-19 Response at Maryland Jail, by David Reutter
- California Court of Appeal Holds Prisoner May Challenge Administrative Disciplinary Violation Already Served, by Matthew Clarke
- “Abject Cruelty”: California Jail Guards Sentenced for Coordinating Prisoner Excrement Fights
- Dallas County Prisoner Trust Fund Bilked of $700,000 With Faked Debit Release Cards by Jail Employee
- Seventh Circuit Reinstates Illinois Prisoner’s Suit Over ‘Orange Crush’ Shakedown, by David Reutter
- All Writs Act Provides Authority for Medical-Imaging Transport Order for Condemned Ohio Prisoner Challenging His Conviction; Certiorari Granted, by David Reutter
- Oregon Prisoners Face Off in Guards’ Legal Fight Over COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate
- Oregon Federal Court Sides with HRDC, Denies Motion to Compel Arbitration by “NUMI” Stored Value Cards, by Jacob Barrett
- Justice Department Releases Ten-Year Recidivism Study, by Matthew Clarke
- After Sixth Death in Six Years, Virginia Jail Cuts Ties with Corizon Health, by Jayson Hawkins, Keith Sanders
- Sixth Circuit Holds Subjective Prong of Deliberate Indifference Test Inapplicable to Pretrial Detainee’s Claims; Reinstates Lawsuit, by Matthew Clarke
- $638,250 Judgment Against Georgia Jail Guard Who Orchestrated Prisoner’s Beating, by Harold Hempstead
- Federal Judge Sanctions Former Arizona DOC Director’s Foot-Dragging Attorneys in Pro Se Prisoner’s Suit, by Matthew Clarke
- $21,525 Awarded by Federal Court to Indiana Prisoner Subjected to Battery by Guard, by David Reutter
- Third Circuit: Retroactive Application of Amended New Jersey Parole Guidelines May Violate Ex Post Facto Clause, by Douglas Ankney
- Corrections Special Applications Unit Builds a Lucrative National Track Record of Abuse and Torture, by J.D. Schmidt
- Massachusetts DOC Fires COVID-19 Mitigation Ombudsman Over Previous Allegations of Document Falsification
- Second Circuit Holds N.Y. Prisoner’s Short-Term Injury May Qualify As Disability under ADA, by Jo Ellen Nott
- News in Brief
More from Matthew Clarke:
- Dissenter Excoriates SCOTUS for Denying Certiorari in Challenge to Constitutionality of Nitrogen Hypoxia Execution, Feb. 1, 2026
- D.C. Federal Court Holds Blocking Prison Reform Advocate’s Access to Federal Prisoners May Violate First Amendment and Due Process, Feb. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Holds Estate Cannot Sue Jailers Who Followed Medical Personnel Advice That Led to Detainee’s Death, Feb. 1, 2026
- Sixth Circuit Reinstates Lawsuit Over Failure to Properly Classify Violent Prisoners at Kentucky Jail, Feb. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Holds Alabama County May Be Liable for Policy of Providing Inadequate Jail Medical Care, Feb. 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Reverses Summary Dismissal of Claim Over Prisoner’s Suicide in Oklahoma Jail, Feb. 1, 2026
- Deportation of Kenyan Priest Working as Texas Prison Guard Highlights TDCJ’s Dependence on Immigrant Staff, Feb. 1, 2026
- Ninth Circuit Reinstates Wheelchair-Bound Washington State Prisoner’s Suit Over Failure to Accommodate Disabilities During Transport, Feb. 1, 2026
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Presentence Confinement on Probation Detainer Must Be Credited to New Sentence Where Same Conduct Triggered Both Detainer and New Charges, Dec. 15, 2025
- Sixth Circuit Clarifies What Constitutes PLRA “Strike” and Reinstates Michigan Prisoner’s Lawsuit, Nov. 1, 2025
More from these topics:
- The St. Louis Jails Are Running Out of Guards, Feb. 1, 2026. Systemic Medical Neglect, Failure to Protect (General), Staffing, Hygiene Supplies, Suicides.
- Amid ‘Catastrophic’ Shortage, Psychologists Flee Federal Prisons in Droves, Feb. 1, 2026. Staffing, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Inadequate Health Care Facilities.
- Tenth Circuit Reverses Summary Dismissal of Claim Over Prisoner’s Suicide in Oklahoma Jail, Feb. 1, 2026. Failure to Train/Supervise, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Suicides, Staff Training, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights.
- Washington Prisoners Gain Access to Crisis Hotline, Nov. 1, 2025. Statistics/Trends, Failure to Protect (General), Suicides, Deliberate Indifference, Compassionate Release.
- $150,000 Paid by Jacksonville for Mother of Five’s Jail Suicide, Nov. 1, 2025. Armor Correctional Health Services, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Suicides, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
- Seventh Circuit Dismisses Jail Detainee Suicide Case for Lack of Showing Deliberate Indifference, Nov. 1, 2025. Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Failure to Treat, Suicides, Administrative Detention/Segregation, Deliberate Indifference.
- Preliminary Injunction Halts Solitary Confinement of Mentally Ill Prisoners at New York Lockup Where Wildcat Guard Strike Began, Nov. 1, 2025. Work Strikes, Staffing, Exercise, Sanitation, Injunctions (PLRA), Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides.
- Eleventh Circuit Declines to Extend to Summary Judgment Proceedings a Rule Requiring District Courts to Notify Pro Se Litigants, Nov. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Harassment, BOP Litigation Reports, Summary Judgment, Pro Se Issues, Unlawful Detention.
- $4 Million Verdict Returned in Colorado Jail Suicide Case, Nov. 1, 2025. Damages, Failure to Train/Supervise, Suicides, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Monell Liability.
- Florida Sheriff Fires Five Guards for Two Cases of Detainee Abuse, Nov. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Harassment, Jail Misconduct, Retaliation, Suicides, Chemical Spraying of Mentally Ill Inmates.