Jails and Prisons

Do privacy rights supersede the Open Records Act?

Do the privacy rights of an inmate confined in a county jail supersede the Oklahoma Open Records Act? A recent lawsuit against a Title 60 public trust that operates an Oklahoma jail facility is asking a court to answer that question. The Petition is available here. The issue arises from the custodial death of Kongchi… read more…

CoreCivic facility on lockdown after prison riot

A riot broke out at a Tennessee prison operated by CoreCivic on Sunday night. According to news reports, 3 inmates were assaulted by others at the Hardeman County Correctional Facility. You can access the article here. Despite the number of involved inmates, CoreCivic insisted on referring to the incident as a “disturbance” and not a… read more…

Private prison: will lie for money?

Would a private prison company mislead the government to avoid paying taxes? According to New Mexico, that’s what CoreCivic did when it requested and received a multi-million dollar tax refund for housing federal inmates within the state. Article here. The scheme uncovered by New Mexico involved the mechanism used to house federal inmates. Rather than… read more…

Nowata Sheriff, Undersheriff, and Jail Administrator all resign

According to reports, Sheriff Rick Miller, the Undersheriff, and the Jail Administrator have all turned in their resignations. The resignations are surprising given the relative importance of the three positions, both individually and collectively. In most counties, the Board of County Commissioners relies on the Jail Administrator to keep it apprised of jail operations, including use of… read more…

Court: Jury Could Conclude Jailers Acted Recklessly

In an opinion released today in Wright v. Stanley, the Tenth Circuit held that a jury could find that two jailers acted recklessly when they placed an arrestee into an already overcrowded cell while they looked for another place for him. The inmates in the cell told the jailers that five minutes “won’t work.” After… read more…

10 Commandments of Police/Citizen Encounters

An encounter with police, a jailer, or any other law enforcement, can be a stressful experience, even for innocent people. Here are 10 rules to remember if you are ever approached by a police officer:  Remain respectful Always maintain the high road. Anything you do that could be perceived as disrespectful (even if lawful), will… read more…

5 Things Victims of Excessive Force Should Do

If you’re the victim of excessive force, and you want to hold the person responsible for your injuries accountable for their actions, here’s a list of five things you should do immediately afterwards:  Get immediate medical attention for your injuries Before doing anything, the victim of excessive force should have their injuries evaluated by a… read more…

Understaffing could factor into riot at CCA facility in Cushing, OK

CCA has confirmed that a riot errupted on Saturday afternoon inside a housing unit at the Cimarron Correctional Facility located in Cushing, OK. Three men died during the incident, while five others were transported to a local hospital. Subsequent reports state that one of those men has also died. The Cushing facility houses inmates classified… read more…

Oklahoma has more prison homicides than any other state

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) show Oklahoma has the highest rate of prison homicides in the nation.  While Maryland comes in second,  the BJS indicate that Oklahoma inmates are killed at a rate more than three times the national average.  According to a story by The Associated Press, Oklahoma officials blame gang violence for giving… read more…