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Law & Legislation

From the Supreme Court on down to the county courthouse, law and decisions affecting corrections change on a daily basis. The Law and Legislation topic covers every trial, verdict, and court decision that has to do with corrections.

Improving staffing at Georgia’s prisons is one of the biggest challenges facing the system; A senator said it was important to study the staffing issue and come up with solutions to attract qualified COs
Attorney General Russell Coleman said that the families of victims deserve “justice” via these executions
The governor also signed bills that eliminate parole for adults who commit crimes after Aug. 1 and dramatically cut the availability of good behavior credits in prison
Official: “Many of the provisions could inadvertently undermine the overall goals of protecting individuals from harm, promoting sound correctional practice and improving safety for those in custody and jail staff”
If approved, commissioners said it will help send the message to correctional officers that “we have their back”
Lawmakers want to lift an existing residency restriction that prevents Pennsylvania from hiring out-of-state corrections officers
The AG said there will be more nitrogen executions in Alabama, stating his regret was that it took so long for the 1996 sentence to be carried out
Matt Tidman testified before a legislative committee in favor of a bill that would ban exercise equipment and free weights from Massachusetts medium and maximum security prisons
Under one of the proposed bills, a court could not sentence an individual under 19 years old when the crime was committed to imprisonment for life without parole eligibility
The new law requires solitary confinement to “only be used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner and for the shortest period of time safely possible”
“Removing barriers to reentry and providing justice-involved individuals with a second chance is critical to the rehabilitation process,” NYS DOCCS Acting Commissioner Daniel Martuscello said
State legislators study Norway’s rehabilitative incarceration model to combat high recidivism rates in California
Insufficient state funding and a deteriorating 125-year-old facility compound safety challenges for both inmates and staff
The 12 cities claim the zero-bail schedule for nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors will result in a “significant increase in criminals released back into the community”
In 2021 lawmakers agreed to spend $1.25 billion on two prisons, but rising labor and construction costs are devouring most of the funding
Allegheny County Jail reports compliance with a county referendum that limits solitary confinement for inmates
COs have expressed concern that the food served in the Cuyahoga County jail is so poor that it could spark riot
The multiple phase $77M project includes housing renovations, a new intake and booking facility, and staff locker rooms and meeting facilities
The prison board approved the up to $3.5 million project to add walls and a roof to Chester County prison’s eight exercise yards
Howard Holland, acting warden of Chester County Prison, proposed new fencing, ankle monitors for high-risk inmates, more cameras in the facility and establishing a K-9 unit to enhance security
Electric chair is the state’s default method of execution but inmates can choose death by firing squad or lethal injection
The plan includes $5K retention and signing bonuses for personnel in the jail that has 14 of its 36 positions vacant
Until the county gets a bigger jail the sheriff is trying small changes, like serving fresh fruit more often and expanding board game privileges, to keep the peace
There is bi-partisan agreement that the BoP “needs significantly more funding” for staffing and addressing a $2 billion maintenance backlog
Package of proposed bills would improve conditions and security at jails for the benefit of staff, inmates and the public
Recent escapes in county jails have representatives increasingly concerned about security and punishing escapees
County officials say the state’s funding approach will continue to lead to budget shortfalls that limit staff and increase overcrowding
The new contract, which requires union and legislature approval, also includes a $1,200 health and wellness stiped in 2023 and 2024
The judge ruled the inmate can either “engage in religious exercise at odds with his own beliefs,” or “remain incarcerated until at least April 2025"