Special Collection: Prison Legal News

Prison Legal News is an independent monthly magazine from the Human Rights Defense Center that covers prisoners' rights, court rulings, and news concerning criminal justice issues. It has brought many lawsuits challenging official policies and practices that allegedly interfere with PLN's free speech rights, including the ability to communicate with prisoners, not only for PLN's speech, but for all publishers and others who want to communicate with people who are incarcerated.

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Brown v. Maloney

03-00001 | Massachusetts state trial court

Filed Date: 2003

Closed Date: 2008

Note: The limited information we have about this case came from newsletters from Prisoners Legal Services Massachusetts. We do not have any court filings available. In 2003, prisoners in the Massachu…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

In the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services / Wright Petition I

96-00128 | No Court

Filed Date: 2003

Closed Date: 2012

This case deals with high phone charges for prisoners' phone calls. It was opened when the District Judge Gladys Kessler in Wright v. Corrections Corporation of America referred the raised issues to …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Carpenter v. Pallito

13-05319 | Vermont state trial court

Filed Date: 2013

Closed Date: 2014

Plaintiff, a prisoner in the custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections and housed in Kentucky, filed suit against the Department of Corrections (DOC), arguing that his out-of-state incarcerati…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Cox

3:13-cv-00346 | U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada

Filed Date: 2013

Closed Date: 2016

On June 27, 2013, the plaintiff, the Human Rights Defense Center's publishing project Prison Legal News ("PLN"), filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, to e…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Natcone v. Wisconsin Department of Corrections

2:23-cv-01430 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Filed Date: Oct. 26, 2023

Closed Date: Aug. 6, 2024

This is a case about healthcare and isolation practices at Wisconsin prisons. On October 26, 2023, inmates at Wisconsin prisons brought a class action suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in the Ea…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Kadamovas v. Federal Bureau of Prisons

2:23-cv-00022 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

Filed Date: Jan. 12, 2023

Case Ongoing

This is a lawsuit challenging solitary confinement conditions for individuals on death row in the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. When this suit was filed, the U.S. Penitentiary i…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Human Rights Defense Center v. Winn

1:19-cv-12470 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Filed Date: Aug. 22, 2019

Case Ongoing

The Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) is a non-profit publisher of Prison Legal News and other publications for prisoners. After many issues of Prison Legal News were withheld from prisoners in Mich…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Human Rights Defense Center v. Greene County

3:17-cv-00381 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Filed Date: Oct. 31, 2017

Closed Date: Oct. 12, 2018

On October 31, 2017, the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The HRDC sued Greene County under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. HRDC s…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Human Rights Defense Center v. Ballard

3:17-cv-00057 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

Filed Date: July 17, 2017

Closed Date: May 15, 2020

On July 17, 2017, the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. HRDC sued both the former and current commissioner of the …

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Human Rights Defense Center v. County of Los Angeles

2:17-cv-04883 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: July 3, 2017

Case Ongoing

On July 3, 2017, the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. HRDC sued the County of Los Angeles and several agents of…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Human Rights Defense Center v. Management & Training Corporation

3:17-cv-01082 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

Filed Date: May 23, 2017

Case Ongoing

On May 23, 2017, the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was assigned to Judge Jeffrey Helmick. The plaintiff …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Cook County

1:16-cv-06862 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Filed Date: June 30, 2016

Case Ongoing

On June 30, 2016, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District Court of Illinois against Cook County Jail under section §1983, alleging violations of t…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

In re Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services / Wright Petition II

12-00375 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Filed Date: Jan. 25, 2016

Case Ongoing

This is a matter before the Federal Communications Commission, dealing with high charges for prisoner phone calls. It is a continuation of the FCC matter CC Docket 96-128 regarding the First and Alte…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Ryan

2:15-cv-02245 | U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

Filed Date: Nov. 6, 2015

Case Ongoing

Prison Legal News produces a monthly publications and books that are mailed to subscribers within the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADOC). On November 6, 2015, Prison Legal News filed this § 198…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Tulare

1:15-cv-01650 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Oct. 29, 2015

Case Ongoing

On October 29, 2015, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. The Plaintiff sued the County of Tulare under 42 U.S.C. § 1…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Jones

3:15-cv-00452 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

Filed Date: Oct. 6, 2015

Closed Date: 2018

On October 6, 2015, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee (Knoxville) against the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. PLN sued…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Federal Bureau of Prisons

1:15-cv-02184 | U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

Filed Date: Oct. 1, 2015

Case Ongoing

On October 1, 2015, Prison Legal News, a legal news magazine intended for inmates, filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The plaintiff sued the Federal Bureau of…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Wickersham

2:15-cv-12350 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Filed Date: June 30, 2015

Closed Date: 2017

On June 30, 2015, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed this lawsuit in Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit), under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, against Macomb County. PLN, represented by private counsel, asked the c…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

4:15-cv-02725 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: June 17, 2015

Closed Date: 2018

On June 17, 2015, death row prisoners at California's San Quentin prison, who had been kept in prolonged solitary confinement, filed this class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the North…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. The GEO Group

1:14-cv-01957 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

Filed Date: Nov. 26, 2014

Closed Date: 2015

On November 26, 2014, Prison Legal News (PLN), a project of the Human Rights Defense Center, filed this lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana …

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JUVENILE INSTITUTION

S.W. v. Williams

1:14-cv-00896 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Filed Date: Nov. 23, 2014

Closed Date: 2015

On November 23, 2014, two African-American teenage males filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio under 42 U.S.C. §1983 against the Hamilton County Juveni…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

1:14-cv-02148 | U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Filed Date: Nov. 10, 2014

On November 10, 2014, the plaintiffs filed this lawsuit in the Middle District of Pennsylvania under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Pennsylvania state law against the Pennsylvania Attorney General and the Dist…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. County of San Diego

3:14-cv-02417 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Filed Date: Oct. 10, 2014

Case Ongoing

On October 10, 2014, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed a suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the County of San Diego. The plain…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News (PLN) v. Lewis County

3:14-cv-05304 | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

Filed Date: April 11, 2014

Closed Date: Nov. 5, 2014

On April 11, 2014, Prison Legal News (PLN), a non-profit publication of the Human Rights Defense Center, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington under 42 U.S…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. County of Ventura

2:14-cv-00773 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: Jan. 31, 2014

Closed Date: April 5, 2018

This case was brought by the Prison Legal News (PLN) on behalf of prisoners and pre-trial detainees held in custody at Ventura County jails. PLN provides a monthly journal, informational brochures, a…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Sullivan County

2:13-cv-00266 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

Filed Date: Oct. 10, 2013

Closed Date: Aug. 11, 2016

On October 10, 2013, Prison Legal News (“PLN”) filed this lawsuit on behalf of itself and Sullivan County Jail prisoners in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Stolle

2:13-cv-00424 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Filed Date: July 31, 2013

Closed Date: 2015

On July 31, 2013, Prison Legal News, represented by private and in-house counsel, filed this lawsuit in the Eastern District of Virginia. PLN sued the Virginia Beach Correctional Center (VBCC) under …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Betterton

2:12-cv-00699 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

Filed Date: Nov. 9, 2012

Closed Date: 2013

On November 9, 2012, Prison Legal News (PLN), a monthly publication that reports on criminal justice-related issues, filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas against Upshur County, Te…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Florida Department of Corrections

4:12-cv-00239 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida

Filed Date: Oct. 17, 2012

Case Ongoing

On November 17, 2011, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The plaintiff sued the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Goodman v. Davis

2:12-cv-00166 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Filed Date: May 21, 2012

Case Ongoing

On May 21, 2012, a Native American prisoner incarcerated at the McConnell Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) filed this lawsuit, pro se, in the U.S. District Court for the Southe…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Columbia County

3:12-cv-00071 | U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

Filed Date: Jan. 13, 2012

On January 13, 2012, the Prison Legal News (PLN) filed a civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Oregon under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Columbia County. The plaintiff, represented by Human…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Chelan County

2:11-cv-00337 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington

Filed Date: Nov. 9, 2011

Closed Date: 2011

On November 9, 2011, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Washington under the Declaratory Judgment Act and § 1983 against Chelan Cou…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Gusman

2:11-cv-02277 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Filed Date: Sept. 9, 2011

On September 9, 2011, the Prison Legal News filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Kansas under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the sheriff of Orleans Parish. The plaintiffs, represented by public i…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Babeu

2:11-cv-01761 | U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

Filed Date: Sept. 7, 2011

Closed Date: 2014

On September 7, 2011, Prison Legal News (PLN), a publisher that publishes magazines and other material concerning criminal justice issues, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District of Arizona against Pina…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Shawnee County

2:11-cv-02497 | U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas

Filed Date: Aug. 31, 2011

Closed Date: 2012

On August 31, 2011, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Kansas under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Shawnee County and the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. The p…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte

2:11-cv-13460 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Filed Date: Aug. 9, 2011

Case Ongoing

On August 9, 2011, Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC), doing business as Prison Legal News (PLN), a publisher that produces a monthly journal concerning criminal justice issues, filed suit in the U.S…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Kelly v. Corrections Corporation of America

1:11-cv-00185 | U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho

Filed Date: April 27, 2011

Closed Date: May 23, 2016

This case sprang from Riggs v. Rodriguez (docket #: 1:09-cv-00010-EJL), which Riggs filed pro se seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the Correction Corporation of America's (CCA) alleged fa…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. County of Sacramento

2:11-cv-00907 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: April 5, 2011

Closed Date: Aug. 8, 2012

Prison Legal News, a non-profit monthly publication that reports on criminal justice-related issues and a project of the Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC), filed this lawsuit in in the United State …

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Berkeley County Sheriff

2:10-cv-02594 | U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina

Filed Date: Oct. 6, 2010

Closed Date: Aug. 14, 2014

On October 6, 2010, the Prison Legal News filed this class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for South Carolina under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Berkeley County. The plaintiffs, represented by …

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Poor

3:10-cv-00251 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Filed Date: June 28, 2010

Closed Date: 2016

On June 28, 2010, the publisher of a Prison Legal news, a monthly civil rights magazine for prisoners, filed a civil rights action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas agains…

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE (OTHER)

1:10-cv-00064 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

Filed Date: Feb. 26, 2010

Closed Date: June 27, 2017

This class action was brought against the Allen County Sheriff, headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, for failure to bring people arrested on the weekends for their probable cause hearing determination wi…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Livingston

2:09-cv-00296 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Filed Date: Nov. 4, 2009

Closed Date: 2012

On November 4, 2009, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court of the Southern District of Texas under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 1988 against the Texas Department of Crim…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Millicorp v. Global Tel-Link Corporation

1:09-cv-23093 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Filed Date: Oct. 14, 2009

Closed Date: 2010

On October 14, 2009, Millicorp, a Florida corporation, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida under the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Corrections Corporation of America

2:09-cv-01831 | U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

Filed Date: Sept. 2, 2009

Closed Date: 2011

On September 2, 2009, the publisher of the Prison Legal News, a monthly magazine distributed to prisons and jails across the counrty, filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and state law in the Unite…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Los Angeles County

BS119336 | California state trial court

Filed Date: March 3, 2009

Closed Date: Sept. 10, 2009

On March 3rd, 2009, Prison Legal News (PLN), a project of the non-profit Human Rights Defense Center that reports on criminal justice issues and prison and jail-related civil litigation with an empha…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

United States v. King County, Washington

2:09-cv-00059 | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

Filed Date: Jan. 15, 2009

Closed Date: Feb. 26, 2009

In October 2006, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, acting pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act ("CRIPA"), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq., commenced an in…

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE (OTHER)

Hazle v. Crofoot

2:08-cv-02295 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 29, 2008

Closed Date: 2014

On September 29, 2008, former prisoner in California filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and California state law, against the …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. District of Columbia

2008 CA 0004598 | District of Columbia state trial court

Filed Date: June 25, 2008

Closed Date: 2011

On June 25, 2008, Prison Legal News (PLN), a non-profit monthly publication, filed this lawsuit against the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in the Superior Court of the Dist…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Mitchell v. Felker

2:08-cv-01196 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: May 21, 2008

Closed Date: 2016

On May 21, 2008, a California inmate filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the California Department of Corrections and Reha…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Friedmann v. Corrections Corporation of America

08-1105-I | Tennessee state trial court

Filed Date: May 19, 2008

Closed Date: 2013

The Clearinghouse does not have access to a docket for this case. Information on this case comes from the petition, available court opinions, and articles from the Prison Legal News.On May 19, 2008, …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Clarke

1:08-cv-10677 | U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Filed Date: April 23, 2008

Closed Date: May 12, 2009

On April 23, Prison Legal News (PLN) filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The plaintiff sued the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (DOC) und…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Kress v. CCA of Tennessee

1:08-cv-00431 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

Filed Date: April 2, 2008

Closed Date: 2012

On April 2, 2008, the female inmates of a private jail in Indianapolis, brought a class action lawsuit against Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), claiming the conditions of confinement and the…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Tilton

34-2007-00893573-CU-PT-GD | California state trial court

Filed Date: Dec. 18, 2007

Closed Date: 2011

On December 18, 2007, Prison Legal News ("PLN"), a non-profit organization that reports on news and litigation involving detention facilities, filed suit against the California Department of Correcti…

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JAIL CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Fulton County, GA

1:07-cv-02618 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Filed Date: Oct. 22, 2007

Closed Date: 2010

On October 22, 2007, the Prison Legal News (PLN) filed suit against Fulton County and its sheriffs under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. It challenge…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Sisney v. State of South Dakota

07-24684 | South Dakota state trial court

Filed Date: Oct. 15, 2007

Closed Date: 2008

On October 15, 2007, an inmate in the South Dakota State Penitentiary filed this pro se lawsuit in the Circuit Court for the Second Judicial Circuit Minnehaha County, South Dakota,. The inmate sued t…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Schwarzenegger

4:07-cv-02058 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: April 12, 2007

Case Ongoing

On April 12, 2007, Prison Legal News, a non-profit organization that published materials of interest to inmates, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Calif…

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE (OTHER)

Prison Legal News v. Geo Group

50 2005 CA 011195 | Florida state trial court

Filed Date: Dec. 2, 2005

Closed Date: 2011

On Dec. 2, 2005, Prison Legal News (PLN) sued the Geo Group, Inc. (formerly Wackenhut Corrections), a private corrections company, under Florida’s public records law (Fla. Stat. Ann. § 119.01) in the…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Lappin

1:05-cv-01812 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: Sept. 13, 2005

Closed Date: 2017

On September 13, 2005, Prison Legal News (PLN), a non-profit legal journal devoted to reporting news and litigation concerning detention facilities, filed this action against the Bureau of Prisons (B…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Sample v. Lappin

1:05-cv-00596 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: Feb. 7, 2005

Closed Date: 2008

On February 7, 2005, a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution ("FCI") in Beaumont, Texas filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under the Religious Freedom …

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PRISON CONDITIONS

Prison Legal News v. Crawford

3:00-cv-00373 | U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada

Filed Date: July 11, 2000

Case Ongoing

On 07/11/2000, Prison Legal News filed this suit in the District of Nevada. PLN sued the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) under 42 U.S.C. §1983. PLN, represented by the ACLU National Prison Pr…

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PRISON CONDITIONS

00-2-17565-5 SEA | Washington state trial court

Filed Date: June 20, 2000

Closed Date: June 21, 2013

On June 20, 2000, individual plaintiffs brought this putative class action in the Superior Court of Washington for King County against five telephone service provider companies. The plaintiffs, repre…

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