Cleaning up Mississippi's Supermax: Conditions Suit Settled
by David M. Reutter
A class action lawsuit filed on behalf of prisoners at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman charged that the totality of conditions are so "hellish" that it makes "Unit 32 the worst place to be incarcerated in Mississippi, perhaps ...
Florida DOC's Policy Prohibiting Release of Sex Offenders Without Address Unconstitutional
by David M. Reutter
In October, 2005, a Florida Circuit Court has held that a Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) policy that requires a sex offender to provide a physical address or face indefinite imprisonment is unconstitutional.
Christopher A. ...
Florida's Department of Corruption
by David M. Reutter
An underlying principle of our penal system is to instill respect for the laws and rules that govern our society. As such, those charged with running our nation's jails and prisons have an ethical obligation to set an example for all citizens, ...
Florida Prison Canteen Operator's Offices Raided
by David M. Reutter
Agents from the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement raided the office of American Institutional Services (AIS) on June 7, 2006 and seized the companys business records. AIS ran weekend visiting park canteens within the Florida Department of Corrections ...
Floridas Civil Commitment Center Under Funded and Out-of-Control
by David M. Reutter
When first created in 1999, Florida's Civil Commitment Center (FCCC) was hyped as a place to house sexually violent predators for protection of the public while providing sex offender treatment after completion of criminal sanctions.
Instead, FCCC has ...
Minnesota Court Invalidates Some Evidence Standard in Disciplinary Hearings for Fact-Finding
by David M. Reutter
The Minnesota Supreme Court has held that a Minnesota Department of Corrections disciplinary hearing fact-finder must find by a preponderance of the evidence that a prisoner has violated a disciplinary rule before the Commissioner of ...
by David M. Reutter
In July 1980, the state of Delaware criminalized all sex in its prisons. Critics cry that the law requires a prisoner to be convicted even when the sex is non-consensual, preventing prisoners from reporting sexual abuse by guards.
Delawares law prohibits sexual intercourse and deviate sexual ...
by David M. Reutter
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has held that a prisoner's claim showing years of failure to adequately treat a medical problem is sufficient to defeat summary judgment. This civil rights action was filed by Wisconsin prisoner Donald F. Greeno, over the alleged failure of prison ...
by David M. Reutter
For over 10 years, the family and friends of Florida prisoners have paid exorbitant costs to communicate with their imprisoned loved one. I dont think that's right, said interim secretary of Florida's Department of Corrections, James McDonough, upon hearing of those costs. Why are (the families ...
Florida's Felon Disenfranchisement Law Upheld
by David M. Reutter
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting en banc, has held that Florida's felon disenfranchisement law does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment or the Voting Rights Act. Before the Court was the appeal filed on behalf ...
