The inmate is taken to administrative segregation, in the medical unit with only a mattress placed on the floor with 24-hour video surveillance with the staff making in-person checks. They are placed there with nothing to harm themselves, as the "watch" is designed to prevent hanging (the most common method in prison or jail). There are no bedsheets and the clothing is made of something that would rip if stressed. The inmate sleeps with an extra-thick blanket that can’t be tied...

The absence of a testifying victim is significant, but it is not an automatic dismissal and anyone who tells you otherwise is getting ahead of the facts. Here is what actually matters in this situation. Prosecutors have tools available that do not require victim cooperation. If law enforcement documented the scene, took photographs, collected medical records, recorded statements at the time of the incident, or gathered witness accounts from neighbors or bystanders, that evidence can be presented without the victim on the...

In most cases this is not a parole violation, but the answer is not identical for every situation and it is worth getting confirmation before assuming you are in the clear. Parole conditions in Texas are set by the Board of Pardons and Paroles and vary from case to case. Standard conditions typically restrict parolees from associating with people who have criminal records or are under criminal justice supervision, but family relationships are often treated differently than associations with unrelated individuals....

The tablets cost about $140, in some places (NY State) the tablets are actually free to use. Where they get you is there is a steep cost to access the content. Emails are $0.30 - $0.50 each, a simple game like solitaire (free on your phone) is $7.99, song downloads and movie rentals and purchases range from $2 to $25. These rates are at the cheaper end of the market. Just this summer, Florida inmates lost about $11.3 million in music...

The short answer is that there is very little you can do from the outside to change this, and understanding why helps make sense of what feels like an overreaction. Once a flag exists in someone's record indicating a prior suicide risk statement, even something said offhandedly during a stressful arrest years ago, it follows them through the system. Every time they enter a new facility, intake staff reviews that history and makes a precautionary placement decision based on what is...