inmates

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3 Americans Detained by China Freed in Swap

The US says all 3 were wrongfully held for years

(Newser) - Three Americans detained for years in China are coming home. Washington and Beijing agreed on a prisoner swap made public Wednesday, reports the Washington Post and the AP . The freed Americans—all of whom were considered to be wrongfully detained in the eyes of the US—are:
  • Mark Swidan: The
...

Hear Diddy's Message on His Own Birthday

Sean Combs' kids celebrate with him via speakerphone as he awaits trial in prison

(Newser) - Sean "Diddy" Combs marked his 55th birthday on Monday from prison, where he's awaiting trial on racketeering and sex trafficking charges—and his seven kids shared the birthday greeting they sent him to mark the occasion. Per NBC News , six of his children gathered around a cake, with...

Florida Man Accused of Bailing Out Prisoners for Sex

Russell Moncrief, 75, accused of bailing out female inmates in exchange for sex with him, others

(Newser) - Officials have charged a bail bondsman in Florida with racketeering and human trafficking after he allegedly used his position to prey on female inmates, reportedly offering to bond them out from behind bars in return for having sex with himself and others, per NBC News . Per a release from state...

During Prison Stay, Menendez Brothers Made It Beautiful

Erik and Lyle Menendez launched beautification project in 2018 at San Diego detention center

(Newser) - Nearly 30 years after they killed their parents, Erik and Lyle Menendez launched a beautification project in the California prison where they're serving life sentences. Their project was inspired by the Norwegian approach to incarceration that believes rehabilitation in humane prisons surrounded by nature leads to successful reintegration into...

Glossip Has Unusual Ally in SCOTUS Fight

Both he and Oklahoma are pushing for new trial, citing prosecutorial misconduct

(Newser) - Glossip v. Oklahoma, a highly watched case before the Supreme Court, isn't quite what its name suggests. Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip is pushing for a new trial, arguing the one that resulted in his murder conviction and death sentence was rife with errors. But Oklahoma is of...

5 Inmates Scheduled to Die in a 7-Day Span

If all goes through, it would be the highest in the US in 20 years

(Newser) - Death row inmates in five states are scheduled to be put to death in the span of one week, an unusually high number of executions that defies a yearslong trend. If carried out as planned, the executions in Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas will mark the first time...

Inmates Flee as Floods Bring Prison Walls Down

Authorities have recaptured just 7 of the 281 inmates who escaped from prison in Maiduguri, Nigeria

(Newser) - Nigerian authorities said 281 inmates escaped after devastating floods brought down a prison's walls in the country's northeast. A major dam collapsed on Sept. 10, unleashing severe flooding that left 30 people dead and more than a million displaced, and prompted evacuations across the state of Borno, reports...

NC Murderer Escapes on His Way to Doctor Appointment
Cops Recapture
NC Murderer Who Escaped
UPDATED
Aug 16, 2024 6:24 AM CDT

Cops Recapture NC Murderer Who Escaped

Ramone Alston, 30, was found after multiday manhunt involving hundreds of officers

(Newser) - A convicted killer in North Carolina who escaped from a medical transport van on Tuesday has been recaptured. After a manhunt involving hundreds of local, state, and federal officers, Ramone Alston was arrested early Friday at a hotel in Kannapolis, a suburb of Charlotte, NBC News reports. Authorities said the...

Russia Frees Americans Gershkovich, Whelan in Swap

About 2 dozen prisoners on both sides are involved in the deal

(Newser) - Russia has freed Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan as part of a large prisoner swap with the West, reports the AP . Turkish officials confirmed the swap on Thursday after reports emerged at Bloomberg and the Daily Beast , among other outlets. Details were still emerging.
  • Two big names: Gershkovich, a
...

Death Row Inmate Says He Doesn't Want 'Invasive Autopsy'
Death Row Inmate Who
Sued Over His Autopsy Wins
UPDATED
Jul 15, 2024 9:45 AM CDT

Death Row Inmate Who Sued Over His Autopsy Wins

Alabama still plans to execute devout Muslim Keith Gavin, but won't carry out post-mortem procedure

(Newser) - Alabama will break with protocol and not perform an autopsy on a death row inmate who sued the state, saying the procedure would violate his Islamic beliefs. Keith Gavin, to be executed this week, sought a court order to block an autopsy, saying it would violate a tenant of Islam...

Russia Releases 10 Ukrainians Stuck Behind Bars for Years

After an intervention from Pope Francis

(Newser) - Ten Ukrainian civilians held prisoner for years by Russia arrived in Kyiv overnight Saturday after mediation via the Vatican, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said. They were freed Friday, per the AP . Some had been captured years before Russia's full-scale invasion. The pope has said the Holy See has been...

Gershkovich Has Another Bad Day in Russian Court

Moscow court refuses 'WSJ' reporter's appeal; he'll stay jailed through the end of June

(Newser) - Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will remain jailed on espionage charges until at least late June, after a Moscow court on Tuesday rejected his appeal that sought to end his pretrial detention. The 32-year-old US citizen has spent over a year behind bars. Last month, his arrest was extended...

Prosecutors Hid Evidence in Convicting Mom of Murder

Texas death row inmate Melissa Lucio, convicted of killing her toddler, could now go free

(Newser) - The judge who presided over Melissa Lucio's 2008 murder trial following the death of her 2-year-old daughter now says the conviction should be thrown out. State District Judge Arturo Nelson recommended on Friday that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturn Lucio's conviction and death sentence, in response...

Texas Prisoner Sues Over Paltry Sleep

Michael Garrett alleges cruel and unusual punishment over schedule of 3.5 hours a night

(Newser) - A prisoner in Texas has won the latest battle in his long-running legal fight to get more sleep. Michael Garrett says he and other inmates in the Estelle Unit in Huntsville get only 3.5 hours of scheduled sleep per night, and even that is interrupted by a head count,...

Supreme Court Case Tests 'Sex Shaming' Defense

Prosecutors highlighted sex life of Brenda Andrew, now on death row

(Newser) - The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the only woman on Oklahoma's death row this month, and the case may set a precedent in regard to prosecutors focusing on a defendant's sex life. Coverage:
  • The inmate: Brenda Andrew, 60, was sentenced to death in 2004 after being
...

Inmates in Prime Eclipse Path Sue for a Viewing

New York state prisoners say lockdown violates religious rights to witness the celestial event

(Newser) - Inmates in New York are suing the state corrections department over the decision to lock down prisons during next Monday's total solar eclipse. The suit filed Friday in federal court in upstate New York argues that the April 8 lockdown violates inmates' constitutional rights to practice their faiths by...

Latest Victim of 'Hacktivists': Russia's Prison System

Per CNN, hackers angered by Navalny death say they stole prisoner database, altered commissary prices

(Newser) - The death last month of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Russian penal colony shocked the world. It also apparently angered a bunch of anti-Kremlin hackers, who are now accused of swiping a Russian prisoner database in retaliation. CNN has the exclusive on this "stunning breach of security":
  • Photo
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New Louisiana Law Allows 2 More Execution Methods
Louisiana Nixes
Most Future
Parole
Mar 8, 2024 1:55 PM CST

Louisiana Nixes Most Future Parole

New law applies to anyone convicted after Aug. 1; another bill allows for 2 more execution methods

(Newser) - As Louisiana's attorney general last year, Jeff Landry pushed back hard against efforts to commute the sentences of the state's death row inmates. As governor, the Republican signed a bill this week to allow two more execution methods in the state, NOLA.com reports. "This is what...

Prison Escapees Face Murder Charges for Missing US Couple

Grenada charges 3 men who allegedly hijacked husband and wife's yacht, threw them overboard

(Newser) - Authorities have pressed murder charges against a trio of escaped prisoners, accused of hijacking an American couple's yacht last month and throwing them overboard . Per a statement from the Royal Grenada Police Force cited by CNN , 30-year-old Ron Mitchell, 25-year-old Atiba Stanisclaus, and 23-year-old Trevon Robertson (who'd originally...

Inmate's Generosity Just Made Him $100K Richer

Prisoner donated $17 paycheck—an entire month's worth of work—to Gaza; then people gave to him

(Newser) - A longtime California inmate had to put in a month's worth of work just to earn enough to buy a couple of Starbucks drinks. What he did with those earnings, however, has since made him $100,000 richer as he prepares to reenter the world upon being paroled later...

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