OUR OPINION: Restore voting rights to ex-felons Attorney General Eric Holder, who has become the Obama administration’s leading voice on minorities’ civil rights and criminal-justice reforms, recently championed a group that seldom gets the sympathy of law enforcers — convicted felons. During a criminal-justice symposium at Georgetown University last week, Mr. Holder called on 11 […]
Florida Corrections Must Answer to Man Left Blind
(CN) – A man who says inadequate medical treatment in a Florida prison left him permanently blind in one eye may have a civil rights case, the 11th Circuit ruled. The decision notes that Jeffrey Kuhne was in his mid-40s when Florida incarcerated him for a probation violation in June 2008. His sight significantly worsened […]
FJI, On Behalf of HOPE Fair Housing Center, Settles Lawsuit Against Real Estate Companies for Housing Discrimination
FJI, on behalf of Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence (HOPE), filed a lawsuit against a real estate agent and two realty companies after the agent repeatedly told HOPE testers that children were not allowed to live in an apartment building, which is a violation of the Fair Housing Act. This was after the realtor had […]
Florida prison system swamped, even as crime levels reach historic lows
With crime low, Florida is still locking up those who get convicted of crimes for long periods of time. January 31, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ — If you have been accused of committing a crime in Florida, you likely already know that there could be serious consequences. But, you may not be aware of the overwhelming scope […]
Prison Staff Not Held Accountable For Sexual Abuse Of Inmates: Report
Nearly half of prison staff who sexually abused inmates faced no legal consequences, according to a new federal report. The Bureau of Justice Statistics report released this week looked at data from 2009 to 2011 in federal and state prisons, local jails, and other adult facilities. The report found that just 46 percent of cases […]
Judge Rules for Better Conditions For Inmates with Serious Mental Health Issues
The S.C. Department of Corrections mental health program is “inherently flawed and systemically deficient in all major areas,” and prison officials should address the constitutional deficiencies and provide more humane treatment of prison inmates with serious mental health illnesses, a circuit court judge ruled January 8, 2014. Circuit Judge Michael Baxley said in his ruling […]
Family wants answers after inmate’s suicide in state facility near Orlando
As William Walker’s body hung inside a state correctional facility near Orlando on New Year’s Eve, letters that he had written before his death were enroute to his parent’s Port St. Lucie home. Two letters have already arrived and more may be coming. His mom, Suzanne Walker, hasn’t been able to work up the courage […]
Deaf inmates sue Ky. prisons over accommodations
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A pair of deaf and hearing-impaired inmates in Kentucky sued the state, seeking to force the Department of Corrections to provide interpreter services for medical visits, video phones that allow deaf callers to see sign language and other hearing devices. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Frankfort, the inmates […]
Idaho to take back control of privately run state prison
Idaho’s governor says the corrections department will take over operation of the largest privately run prison in the state after more than a decade of mismanagement and other problems at the facility. Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America has contracted with the state to run the prison since it was built in 1997. Taxpayers currently pay […]
Food As Punishment: Giving U.S. Inmates ‘The Loaf’ Persists
In many prisons and jails across the U.S., punishment can come in the form of a bland, brownish lump. Known as nutraloaf, or simply “the loaf,” it’s fed day after day to inmates who throw food or, in some cases, get violent. Even though it meets nutritional guidelines, civil rights activists urge against the use […]
Judge nixes Florida’s welfare drug testing
ORLANDO — A federal judge has ruled that a 2011 law requiring welfare applicants to undergo drug tests is unconstitutional, striking a blow to Gov. Rick Scott’s administration over the controversial tests. Scott quickly said he would appeal U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven’sTuesday ruling, the latest defeat for the governor in a drawn-out battle over […]
Florida Law on Drug Tests for Welfare Is Struck Down
KEY WEST, Fla. — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down as unconstitutional a Florida law that required welfare applicants to undergo mandatory drug testing, setting the stage for a legal battle that could affect similar efforts nationwide. Judge Mary S. Scriven of the United States District Court in Orlando held that the testing requirement, […]
Federal lawsuit: St. Lucie County Jail’s postcard-only mail policy is unconstitutional
A new federal lawsuit is challenging the mail policy for inmates at a county jail in South Florida. According to the lawsuit, the jail’s policy requiring all incoming and outgoing mail to fit on a postcard-size letter is unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed against St. Lucie County Sheriff Kenneth J. Mascara in the Southern District […]
FJI Executive Director Randall C. Berg Quoted in Article On History of Civil Rights Restoration
Dan Gelber says Charlie Crist got automatic restoration of felon rights for 1st time in Florida history As former Gov. Charlie Crist tries to gain supporters in his quest to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Scott, he wants to portray himself as the hero of voter access and Scott as a leader who restricted voting. Dan […]
Justice Watch: Prison Legal News Is Filing, Winning Federal Lawsuits
The October issue of Prison Legal News contained one story entitled, “How many inmate deaths is too many?” Another article addressed a Justice Department investigation into widespread sexual abuse in Alabama women’s prisons by male guards, while another took a look at what led to a mentally ill prisoner in Illinois to die on a […]
Prison system opens ‘re-entry’ center
HAVANA — The head of Florida’s prison system ran the numbers Tuesday on how a new approach to inmate “re-entry” will save taxpayers money by breaking the cycle of crime and punishment, then said the initiative would be worthwhile even without the fiscal considerations. “It does save money,” Department of Corrections Secretary Michael Crews said […]
FJI Files Lawsuit Against St. Lucie County Jail Over Post-Card Only Policy
Attorneys for FJI, on behalf of Prison Legal News (PLN), have filed a lawsuit against the St. Lucie County Sheriff over the Sheriff’s recently adopted policy that prohibits people incarcerated in the St. Lucie County jail from receiving any mail other than postcards. The policy also prohibits inmates from receiving any books or magazines through […]
Miami’s Homeless Could Lose Some Rights If Judge Agrees with Settlement
Miami’s homeless, who since 1998 have benefitted from special life-sustaining privileges not afforded most residents, will lose some of those exceptions if a federal judge signs off on an agreement reached by the city of Miami and the American Civil Liberties Union. No longer will the homeless be allowed to set fires in parks to […]