Arkansas Prisoner’s Suit Based on Classification Status Dismissed
by David Reutter
The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner’s lawsuit for being barred by sovereign immunity and for failure to state a cause of action on which relief could be granted. The dismissal counts as a “strike” against ...
$1.75 Million Settlement in Michigan Detainee’s Heroin Withdrawal Death
by David M. Reutter
A $1.75 million settlement was reached in a lawsuit brought by the estate of a pre-trial detainee who died as a result of heroin withdrawal after being denied medical care.
In the days leading up to and ...
Arbitrator’s Award on Pay Raises for Prison Guards Costs Pennsylvania County $5 Million
by David M. Reutter
Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County Commission has been forced to dip into its reserve funds to comply with an “unaccountable” arbitration award that resulted in a 7% annual pay increase for the county’s prison guards. ...
BOP Settles Medical Negligence Claim for $600,000
by David M. Reutter
The federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) paid $600,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging officials at USP Coleman Low caused a prisoner to suffer permanent injuries due to their negligent provision of medical care.
BOP prisoner Robert Lee Hernandez arrived ...
Feds and Tennessee Officials Investigate Prisoners Using Facebook
by David Reutter
The Bureau of Prisons is investigating two prisoners who were discovered using Facebook to “broadcast live” from a federal facility in Atlanta, where they are serving time on drug and weapons charges. The probe was initiated following a November ...
Sixth Circuit: Group Strip Searches and Delousing at Ohio Jail State Claim
by David Reutter
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that a proposed class-action complaint filed on behalf of pretrial detainees at the Cleveland House of Correction, which alleged it was unreasonable for the jail to 1) ...
$71,000 Settlement in Iowa Prisoner’s Sexual Harassment Claim
by David M. Reutter
A former Iowa prisoner received a $71,000 settlement after being sexually harassed at her prison job in a case that established prisoners have civil rights protections with respect to employment under Iowa state law.
While incarcerated at the ...
Dismissal of State-Created Danger Claim Reversed
by David M. Reutter
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s order dismissing a civil rights action that alleged the disclosure of a confidential informant’s status established a state-created danger in violation of his due process rights.
The suit at issue ...
Nebraska Court Awards Prisoner $267,000 in Failure to Protect Suit
by David M. Reutter
Following a bench trial, a Nebraska state court found prison officials were aware of threats to prisoner James M. Saylor but failed to take steps to protect him. Consequently, the court awarded damages and interest totaling ...
$266,653 Judgment in Lawsuit Challenging Alabama Prison’s Improper Sewage Discharge
by David Reutter
Following a settlement agreement between Black Warrior Riverkeeper (Riverkeeper) and Alabama Utility Services (AUS), a judgment was entered in a lawsuit that alleged the sewage treatment plant at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility (DCF) had discharged ...
