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Articles by Kevin Bliss

Award Slashed for Delaware Prisoner Sexually Groped by Guard

by Kevin W. Bliss

On August 24, 2022, the federal court for the District of Delaware granted a state prison guard’s request and nearly eliminated the damages against him awarded to a prisoner that a jury found had been sexually abused. That chopped the award to the prisoner, De Shawn ...

$98,000 Paid by BOP to Immigrant Detainees Racially Profiled as Terrorists in New York City Lockup

by Kevin W. Bliss

An out-of-court settlement between the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and a group of former immigrant detainees was made public on July 5, 2022. The plaintiffs, all Muslim, Arab, and South Asian men, were allegedly racially profiled as terrorists. They were awarded $98,000 in damages, and ...

Former BOP Warden Convicted of Sexually Abusing Prisoners in California ‘Rape Club’ Scandal

by Kevin W. Bliss

On December 1, 2022, a jury in federal court for the Northern District of California convicted Ray J. Garcia, the former warden of the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at Dublin, on seven sexual abuse charges and another of lying about it to government agents investigating the ...

Mega-stars Accused of Plagiarizing Song from Nameless Missouri Prisoner

by Kevin W. Bliss

In October 2022, movie star Johnny Depp and musician Jeff Beck countersued artist and educator Bruce Jackson for libel and slander, after he accused them of plagiarizing lyrics for the song Sad Motherfuckin Parade, off their collaborative album 18, from his 1974 book Get Your Ass ...

Jail Doctor Charged Along With Nurse in San Diego Detainee’s Death

by Kevin W. Bliss

Friederike Von Lintig, 57, a doctor contracted to San Diego County’s Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee, California, was charged with involuntary manslaughter on October 26, 2022, for allegedly refusing to provide medical treatment to a detainee who died while detoxing from heroin. A jail nurse, ...

D.C. Jail Guard Arrested for Stealing Union Funds to Finance Lavish Entertainment

by Kevin W. Bliss

A guard at the jail in Washington, D.C., was arrested on December 17, 2022, on federal charges he embezzled funds from the union representing him and other guards to buy himself tickets to concerts, NBA basketball games and stays at luxury hotels.

Andra Parker, 64, was ...

Over $237,000 Awarded in Wisconsin Prisoner’s Suit Accusing Guard of Unwanted Sexual Advances

by Kevin W. Bliss

On June 16, 2022, the federal court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin ordered a state prison guard to pay $110,042.38 in legal costs and fees for a former state prisoner she subjected to unwanted sexual advances. The award came on top of a $125,000 jury ...

Mississippi Demands $1.9 Million From MTC For Short-Staffing Private State Prison

by Kevin W. Bliss

On November 14, 2022, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White submitted a civil demand for payment of $1.9 million to Utah-based private prison operator Management and Training Corporation (MTC) for violating its contractual agreement to fully staff the Marshall County Correctional Facility (MCCF) from 2017 to 2020. ...

Five High-Level Staffers Out of Michigan Prison After State Watchdog Uncovers Anti-Gay Harassment

by Kevin W. Bliss

The Michigan Office of the Executive Inspector General (OIG) released a 50-page report on December 5, 2022, detailing a culture of unprofessional and irresponsible behavior at the management level of the Pontiac Correctional Center (PCC). Prompted by a complaint of sexual harassment, the investigation resulted in ...

Two Years After Mentally Ill Detainee Strangled to Death by Guards, Florida Jail Still Refuses to Release Video

by Kevin W. Bliss

“They [need] to release the tapes,” Secilia Desir said of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), “so I can see how they killed my son.”

But two years after jail guards fatally strangled Kevin Desir, a Black 43-year-old father of two, no video evidence has been ...