by Ed Lyon
A lengthy article concerning e-tablets in state prisons was published in the April 2018 issue of PLN (p.44). One of the warnings set out in that article concerned the high fees accompanying apps for those devices. JPay stands out as a major provider of e-tablets, a variant ...
by Ed Lyon
With all of the negative publicity concerning the Maricopa County, Arizona, jails associated with former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the unconstitutional conditions there began under Sheriff-elect Jerry Hill. It was during Hill’s tenure in 1977 that the lawsuit Graves v. Hill ...
by Ed Lyon
John Nigl began his 100-year prison stretch in 2001 at Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. From April of 2013 until January of 2015, Nigl received psychological counseling from Dr. Sandra Johnston. Their sessions ceased when Johnston left her employment. The two shared a kiss when Johnston left. ...
by Ed Lyon
Shannon Rose Jefferson, a Native American, was a frequent resident at the Whatcom County Jail (WCJ) in Washington State. During the last 16 years of her life, Jefferson was held at the WCJ over 20 times. Jail records covering those prior detentions indicated she had attempted suicide ...
by Ed Lyon
Several long-time employees of the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) filed age discrimination and retaliation complaints against that agency with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Senior Warden Anthony Romero was 38 years old when he reviewed three candidates for promotion to a vacant major position; ...
by Ed Lyon
Hoopeston, Illinois citizen Richard J. Gonzalez was convicted of a non-violent felony for theft of $3,000 from an ATM machine. He was detained at the Ford County jail on May 15, 2012, pending a transfer to prison to begin serving a four-year sentence.
On May 18, Gonzalez ...
by Ed Lyon
Ty Evans is an Indiana state prisoner. He is also an accomplished freelance writer who regularly submits articles about prison life that are often printed in different publications.
In August 2018, Evans was given the job of being a “suicide companion” for depressed prisoners. He signed a ...
by Ed Lyon
On May 19, 2017, Sgt. Thomas Freeham forcefully shoved Tonya Varney into a cell at a jail in Montgomery County, Ohio; Varney was reluctant to enter the cell because it appeared to have urine on the floor.
She was taken to the Miami Valley Hospital later that ...
by Ed Lyon
The GEO Group is one of the largest private prison companies in the United States. Its primary reason for existence is to generate profit by warehousing people for the states and federal government. One of GEO’s many prisons is the 1,575-bed Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. ...
by Ed Lyon
While an estimated 40 percent of all prisoners have a diagnosed mental health condition, the number of prisoners suffering from a serious mental illness reached 14 percent of the general prison population by 2018. Mentally ill prisoners are much more likely to commit suicide.
The three largest ...
