by David M. Reutter
A 2008 report by the Pew Center on the States reported that for the first time that 1 in every 100 adults in the United States was confined behind bars.
In a March 2009 report, the Pew Center found that when you combine those behind bars ...
by David M. Reutter
Florida lawmakers have handed a victory to the private prison industry by passing a bill (SB 1722) that allows Florida prisoners to be exported to out-of-state facilities, which are mostly privately-operated. When Governor Charlie Crist signed the bill into law in June 2009, Florida joined 15 ...
by David M. Reutter
For almost 50 years, following the Supreme Court’s 1963 decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, criminal defendants have had a constitutional right to legal representation. However, Georgia lawmakers have decided that as a result of the state’s budget shortfall and cuts to public defender services, the right ...
by David M. Reutter
Only weeks before ordering $640 million in spending cuts, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland paid more than 800 employees of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DORC) to attend a “Year End Review” celebration at the state fairgrounds. A few months later, the federal stimulus package ...
by David M. Reutter
In June 2009, an Illinois federal jury awarded $21 million to a former prisoner who served 11-1/2 years for a murder he didn’t commit. The basis of the claim was that Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara, a gang crimes specialist, had framed Juan Johnson for a ...
by David M. Reutter
A basic principle of the American court system is that the public has a right to know what happens in the nation’s courtrooms. In Wisconsin, however, that principle has been compromised to protect certain parties in court proceedings, including at least one prison guard.
In 2006, ...
by David M. Reutter
“The PLRA has had a devastating effect on the ability of incarcerated persons to protect their health and safety and vindicate other fundmanetal rights,” concludes a June 2009 report titled No Equal Justice: The Prison Litigation Reform Act [PLRA] in the United States. The report was ...
by David M. Reutter
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) has fired three guards, demoted a warden and disciplined other employees following an investigation into dozens of children being shocked with stun guns during “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” on April 23, 2009. Apparently, some FDOC employees ...
by David M. Reutter
While the economic downturn has caused the price of goods and commodities to decrease in the free world, the cost of items in Florida’s prison canteens has skyrocketed under a new contract.
Florida law requires that items sold in prison canteens “shall be priced comparatively with ...
by David M. Reutter
The corporate philosophy of cutting corners to enhance profits is catching up with Aramark Correctional Services, causing the company to lose prison and jail food service contracts and putting other contracts in jeopardy. Aramark has discontinued its contract with Florida’s entire prison system, while the company ...
