Corrections

Arkansas Attorney General Challenges State Board of Corrections’ Outside Counsel in FOIA Case

by

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – Attorney General Tim Griffin has taken legal action to remove the state Board of Corrections’ lawyer from a Freedom of Information Act case. Griffin argues that the board cannot hire an outside attorney under a specific state law because board members are not constitutional officers. The motion filed by Griffin asserts that “The Board and its members are created by statute, not the Constitution.” In response, the outside attorney, Abtin Mehdizadegan, claims that Griffin’s argument has already been rejected by another judge in a separate case involving the same parties. The … Read more

Lawsuit Filed Against Minnesota Department of Corrections Over Cancellation of Christian Rehabilitation Program in St. Cloud Prison

by

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Law Center and True North Legal have filed a lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Corrections over the cancellation of a Christian prison rehabilitation program. The program, known as Quest for Authentic Manhood, was a voluntary and Christian-based initiative offered to inmates at St. Cloud State Prison. According to the lawsuit, the program was abruptly terminated in July following a statement made by an assistant corrections commissioner. The commissioner cited the program’s alleged inconsistency with the department’s Diversity and Inclusion values as the reason for its cancellation. The … Read more

Corrections Officer Indicted for Smuggling Illegal Drugs and Tobacco into Jail, Allegedly Accepting Bribes from Inmates

by

Hamilton, New Jersey – A corrections officer in Mercer County has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband into the jail, including illegal drugs and tobacco products. Tyree L. Hobbs, 39, is facing four second-degree charges, including official misconduct and bribery. He has been suspended without pay since July 2022 and was charged in June 2023. Hobbs allegedly began his illegal operation about 10 months after starting his job at the Mercer County Correctional Facility. According to investigators from the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity … Read more