Tag: Police

“Deadly Heat” in U.S. Prisons Is Killing Inmates and Spawning Lawsuits


IN THE SUMMER months, 84 inmates at the Price Daniel Unit, a medium-security prison four hours west of Dallas, share a 10-gallon cooler of water that’s kept locked in a common area. An inmate there can expect to receive one 8 oz. cup every four hours, according to Benny Hernandez, a man serving a 10-year sentence at the prison. The National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults drink about twice that amount under normal conditions and even more in hot climates. According to Hernandez, in the summer the temperature in his prison’s housing areas can reach an astonishing 140 degrees.The prison provides ice for the cooler twice a day, but the ice has long melted before the hottest part of the day, he wrote in a post on Prison Writers, a website where inmates share their experiences behind bars. “Prisoners look upon the summer months in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) with dread and trepidation,” he wrote. “For one is acutely aware that one may not survive another summer. Many do not.”

Source: “Deadly Heat” in U.S. Prisons Is Killing Inmates and Spawning Lawsuits

Images of Militarized Police in Baton Rouge Draw Global Attention


Photographs and video of heavily armed police officers arresting protesters in Baton Rouge over the weekend reverberated on social networks around the world.

Source: Images of Militarized Police in Baton Rouge Draw Global Attention

The U.S. Is the Only Country That Routinely Sentences Children to Life in Prison Without Parole

Defying the Supreme Court, some states are still putting minors in prison for life despite mitigating circumstances.

Source: The U.S. Is the Only Country That Routinely Sentences Children to Life in Prison Without Parole

Journalists Arrested In Ferguson Promise Not To Promote The Settlement | Techdirt

on Wednesdsay, it was announced that a settlement has been reached in which law enforcement officers will receive more training. While the official details of the settlement were “confidential,” the Huffington Post got a copy of the settlement using a FOIA request and found some interesting details, including an agreement that none of the four journalists in question will “publicize” the agreement in any way

Source: Journalists Arrested In Ferguson Promise Not To Promote The Settlement | Techdirt

Rep. Issa Calls Out Civil Asset Forfeiture As Letting ‘Cops Go Treasure Hunting’ | Techdirt

Civil asset forfeiture allows police to seize property as long as they believe that the assets in question were somehow connected to criminal activity. “As long as they believe” — that’s the key part. Authorities don’t have to actually prove the person was guilty of a crime. They don’t have to even file charges. The presumption of innocence is thrown to the wayside. It’s an egregious violation of the 4th Amendment, but that’s not even the most glaring problem with the system. Under current law, most states allow police departments to absorb up to 100% of the value of the confiscated property — whether it’s cash, cars, houses or guns — and use the proceeds to pad their budgets. It’s an obvious conflict of interest — and boy, is it profitable for law enforcement agencies.

Source: Rep. Issa Calls Out Civil Asset Forfeiture As Letting ‘Cops Go Treasure Hunting’ | Techdirt

FBI Told Cops to Recreate Evidence From Secret Cell-Phone Trackers

Feds tell locals that they need to find other ways “to corroborate information concerning the location of the target obtained through the use of this equipment” if they want to introduce it at trial.

Source: FBI Told Cops to Recreate Evidence From Secret Cell-Phone Trackers

NYPD Using ‘Nuisance Abatement’ Law To Force Small Businesses To Install Cameras, Agree To Warrantless Searches | Techdirt

He agreed to pay a $2,000 fine, maintain cameras that the NYPD can access at any time, and to allow the police to conduct warrantless searches. If anyone is even accused of breaking the law at his business again — whether a store employee or not — he faces escalating penalties: closures that would increase from 30 days to 60 days to 90 days to a full year with each alleged offense; fines climbing as high as $15,000.

Perhaps most damaging of all, the terms continue in perpetuity, even if the business changes hands.

Source: NYPD Using ‘Nuisance Abatement’ Law To Force Small Businesses To Install Cameras, Agree To Warrantless Searches | Techdirt

Police Officer Attempts To Set Record For Most Constitutional Violations In A Single Traffic Stop | Techdirt

Source: Police Officer Attempts To Set Record For Most Constitutional Violations In A Single Traffic Stop | Techdirt

Illinois Police Department Pulls Plug On Body Cameras Because Accountability Is ‘A Bit Burdensome’ | Techdirt

Minooka Police Chief Justin Meyer said Friday the issue was not with the functionality of the cameras, but that it became a burden for staff to fill the many requests for video footage.

Source: Illinois Police Department Pulls Plug On Body Cameras Because Accountability Is ‘A Bit Burdensome’ | Techdirt