In a published case, the California Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate
District has held that a prisoner is not entitled to a reduction in his or her classification score for satisfactory performance in a work, school or vocational program if he or she does not actually participate in ...
CDCR Adopts New Contraband Rules on Obscene, Gang-related Materials
by Michael Brodheim
In the aftermath of a 2013 ruling by the California Court of Appeal that found a book containing sexually explicit content was not obscene and must be returned to the prisoner who ordered it, and following a hunger ...
Arizona Department of Corrections Adopts Same-Sex Marriage Policy
by Michael Brodheim
Corrections officials in Arizona have changed a policy related to prisoner marriages to allow same-sex unions, now that such marriages are legal in the state. However, prisoners are still not permitted to marry one another, either as traditional or ...
California Prison Officials Ordered to Provide Qualified Sign Language Interpreters for All Deaf Prisoners
by Michael Brodheim
In June 2013, the federal district court overseeing California’s treatment of prisoners with disabilities granted a motion for an order to enforce its prior orders, concluding that clear and convincing evidence showed that ...
Plata Court Authorizes Force-Feeding of Hunger-Striking California Prisoners
By: Michael Brodheim
In August 2013, at the joint request of both the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Federal Receiver overseeing the delivery of medical services to California prisoners, CDCR officials received authorization to force-feed, under specific conditions, ...
June, 2013 Proves To Be Deadly Month for California Prisoners
by Michael Brodheim
In unrelated incidents, two California prisoners were killed on the same day in June 2013, one at Wasco State Prison in Kern County, the other at the Lancaster State Prison in Los Angeles County.
According to a ...
California: Commission Recommends Reforms for Jail Overcrowding, Sentencing
by Michael Brodheim
In a May 2013 letter to the Governor and to members of the state legislature, Jonathan Shapiro, Chairman of the Little Hoover Commission, addressed problems of jail overcrowding and recommended changes that the commission believes will help ensure that ...
Nevada Jail Charges Prisoners for Meals, Medical Care to Defray Costs
by Michael Brodheim
Overcrowding at Nevada’s Elko County jail is expected to ease with the scheduled completion of an addition to the facility, while the jail continues to work on correcting deficiencies reported in a Nevada Department of Health ...
Pennsylvania Jail Guard Who Assaulted Prisoner Gets Home Confinement, Probation
by Michael Brodheim
federal judge in Pittsburgh said it was the first time in her six years on the federal bench that she had agreed to a sentence reduction due to a defendant’s family considerations.
On December 20, 2013, U.S. ...
California Pays $585,000 to Settle Suit by Prisoner Who Lost Eye Due to Poor Medical Care
by Michael Brodheim
California prison officials paid $585,000 to former prisoner Frank Lucero to settle his federal lawsuit alleging that he lost an eye due to inadequate medical care received while serving time for ...
