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This site contains over 2,000 news articles, legal briefs and publications related to for-profit companies that provide correctional services. Most of the content under the "Articles" tab below is from our Prison Legal News site. PLN, a monthly print publication, has been reporting on criminal justice-related issues, including prison privatization, since 1990. If you are seeking pleadings or court rulings in lawsuits and other legal proceedings involving private prison companies, search under the "Legal Briefs" tab. For reports, audits and other publications related to the private prison industry, search using the "Publications" tab.

For any type of search, click on the magnifying glass icon to enter one or more keywords, and you can refine your search criteria using "More search options." Note that searches for "CCA" and "Corrections Corporation of America" will return different results. 


 

Articles about Private Prisons

U.S. Extradition Services Settles Wrongful Death Suit

By Brandon Sample

The family of a prisoner who was killed while being transported by a private prison transport company has agreed to settle its wrongful death suit.

The parents of Shawn Talbot sued U.S. Extradition services after their son died while being transported by the company. The driver of the van transporting Talbot from Utah to another state fell asleep while driving and crashed the van. Talbot died from his injuries in the crash.

Talbot’s parents claimed the company was negligent in transporting their son. The amount of the settlement is unknown.

See: Talbot vs. U.S. Extradition Services, No. 2: 10-CV-00578-DAk (D. Utah 2010).

CCA Prisoner Awarded $3,250 in Excessive Force Lawsuit

A Louisiana U.S. District Court awarded $3,250 to a prisoner in a civil rights action that involved excessive use of force by a guard. The lawsuit was filed by Winn Correctional Center prisoner Derrick Levon Carter due to events that occurred on April 14, 2006. This case is unusual in ...

Sixth Circuit Rules on Whether Prisoner Must Name Defendants in Grievance

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Michigan Department of Corrections (DOC) internal grievance policy rule that prisoners name all defendants did not invalidate a prisoner’s grievance for purposes of exhaustion of administrative remedies when prison officials denied the grievance on the merits.

Mark Anthony Reed-Bly, a DOC prisoner, seriously dislocated his shoulder during a prison basketball game. He was treated at an emergency room and told that he would be seen by an orthopedic specialist within five days. 79 days later, he saw the specialist who told him that he would continue to have shoulder pain and accompanying headaches, some of which lasted up to three days, until he received surgery to repair the shoulder.

An X-ray showed that the shoulder separation was worsening and four times Reed-Bly requested follow-up care. Nonetheless, he did not receive the surgery until another three months had passed.

Reed-Bly filed a grievance. Prison officials responded, stating that the delay was caused by DOC officials awaiting approval for the surgery from Correctional Medical Services (CMS). The grievance was denied on the merits at all three levels.

Reed-Bly filed a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights action in federal district court alleging the ...

Philadelphia Settles Diabetes Suit

On March 13, 2003, the City of Philadelphia agreed to settle a suit over the adequacy of care provided to diabetic prisoners at Philadelphia jails.

The terms of the settlement require the city to establish policies related to the treatment of prisoners with diabetes. For instance, detainees exhibiting or requesting ...

$24,500 Settlement in Slip and Fall Suit

Wackenhut Corrections Corporation paid $24,500 to settle a slip and fall and negligent maintenance suit filed by Florida prisoner Randolf Bailey.

The incident occurred on October 2, 2002 at South Bay Correctional Facility. In his complaint, Bailey claims he was exiting the chapel through a hallway that had just been ...

$35,000 Settlement in Florida Prisoner’s Negligence Claim, Failure to Correct Dangerous Condition Against Geo Group

The Geo Group, Inc., Florida Correctional Finance Corporation, South Bay Correctional Facilities Financing Corporation and the Florida Department of Corrections paid $35,000 to settle a prisoner’s negligence claim. The settlement came in a lawsuit filed by prisoner Edward Milner.

In his amended complaint, Milner alleged that the Defendants created a ...

$75,000 Settlement in Prisoner’s Negligence Claim Injury Due to Failure to Correct Dangerous Condition

The Wackenhut Corrections Corporation paid $75,000 to settle a prisoner’s negligence claim. The settlement came in a lawsuit filed by Florida prisoner Thomas Less Stevens.

Stevens alleged in his complaint against Wackenhut that on December 21, 1999, while working under the supervision of a prison employee in the food service ...

$250,000 Settlement in Florida Auto Accident Claim Against Geo

The Geo Group paid $250,000 to settle an auto accident claim. The settlement came in a lawsuit filed by Elsworth Noel Seals.

In her complaint, Seals alleged that on March 1, 2006. While approaching an intersection in her vehicle in the city of South Bay, Florida, Eades, a Geo Group ...

Florida Department of Corrections and Wackenhut Corrections Corporation Paid $35,000 Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit

Wackenhut Corrections Corporation and the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) paid $35,000 to settle a discrimination and retaliatory practices lawsuit.

In his civil complaint, ex-FDOC senior psychologist Majid A. Shams, who is of Iranian descent, claimed he was hired at Glades Correctional Institution (GCI) in December 1990 as a senior ...

GEO Group Car Accident Settlement

The GEO Group Inc. paid $20,000 to settle a car accident suit with injuries.

In his complaint, plaintiff Keven Freeze claimed on May 1, 2006, that Harold Eades, an employee of the GEO Group, was operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner causing an auto crash. Freeze was a ...