prisoners

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Longest Death-Row Inmate Gets Record Payout

Japan to pay $1.45M to Iwao Hakamata, who spent nearly 50 years on death row before a rare retrial

(Newser) - He served nearly 50 years on death row for murders he didn't commit, but now octogenarian Iwao Hakamata is about to recoup some compensation for his ordeal. The BBC reports that a judge has ordered the Japanese government to pay $1.45 million to 89-year-old Iwao Hakamata, who spent...

SBF Tells Tucker Carlson of 'Dystopian' Prison Life

FTX founder, who shares a cellblock with Diddy, says rapper has 'been kind' to him

(Newser) - "Strange bedfellows" just took on a whole new meaning, thanks to a prison interview with none other than Sam Bankman-Fried. The disgraced founder of the bankrupt FTX crypto exchange popped up Thursday for a video chat with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who questioned the 33-year-old inmate on...

Mexican Drug Lord Sent to US With 28 Other Prisoners

Rafael Caro Quintero killed a DEA agent in 1985

(Newser) - Mexico has sent drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a US DEA agent in 1985, across the border with 28 prisoners requested by the US government, a Mexican government official and other sources said Thursday. It comes as top Mexican officials are in Washington trying...

Supreme Court Throws Out a High-Profile Death Sentence

Oklahoma inmate Richard Glossip had been served a last meal 3 times

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out the murder conviction and death penalty for Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma man who has steadfastly maintained his innocence and averted multiple attempts by the state to execute him. The justices found that Glossip's trial violated his constitutional rights, reports the AP . The...

Longtime Death-Row Inmate Dies Ahead of March Execution

'Justice should have been delivered long ago,' Louisiana AG says of death of 81-year-old inmate

(Newser) - The oldest inmate on Louisiana's death row, a terminally ill man convicted of killing his young stepson in the early '90s, has died, just weeks before he was set to be executed. The state's Department of Public Safety and Corrections announced that 81-year-old Christopher Sepulvado died Saturday...

Trump All in Favor of Sending US Criminals to El Salvador

President says he's checking the legality, though experts say there's no question

(Newser) - President Trump says he'd like to accept El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's offer to house US criminals and deported migrants from any country in its notorious "mega-prison," which has spawned reports of torture. "If we had the legal right to do it, I would do...

In SCOTUS Case, a 'Historic Victory for Gender Justice'

Court rules for Oklahoma death row inmate Brenda Andrew, who says she was sex-shamed during trial

(Newser) - The US Supreme Court has ordered a review by the lower courts on a case involving the only woman on death row in Oklahoma. Per NBC News , the nation's highest court issued a 7-2 ruling on Tuesday determining that Brenda Andrew, convicted of murdering her estranged husband, can continue...

Inmate Asks Court to Block Nitrogen Gas Execution

Demetrius Frazier's lawyers want Alabama to change protocol for this form of capital punishment

(Newser) - Attorneys for an Alabama inmate scheduled to be the fourth person put to death with nitrogen gas asked a federal judge on Wednesday to block the execution, arguing the first three inmates showed signs of suffering from suffocation as the gas flowed. Demetrius Terrence Frazier, 52, is scheduled to be...

Zelensky: Ukraine Has 2 North Korean Soldiers

The wounded men are being questioned in Kyiv, post says

(Newser) - President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine has captured two wounded North Korean soldiers who were fighting along with Russian forces in Kursk and is now questioning them in Kyiv. It's the first time his government has acknowledged holding North Koreans since a force of thousands was deployed to...

Death Row Inmate Asks to Expedite His Execution

State high court rejects Aaron Gunches' request for Valentine's Day, but it could happen in March

(Newser) - Aaron Gunches doesn't want to waste any more time. The death row inmate in Arizona, convicted of murdering his girlfriend's ex more than two decades ago, put in a handwritten request on New Year's Eve to the state's Supreme Court to circumvent the legal wrangling and...

Police: Drunk Detective Opens Jail Cells, Frees Inmates

As a result, 13 criminals are on the loose in Zambia

(Newser) - Thirteen prisoners are on the run in Zambia after a remarkably easy escape from jail. Police say one of their own—a detective inspector—got drunk on New Year's Eve and opened up their cells, reports CNN . Titus Phiri, "in a state of intoxication, forcibly seized cell keys"...

Court Rules 9/11 Plea Deals Will Stand

Defense chief Lloyd Austin tried to nullify deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 2 other Gitmo prisoners

(Newser) - A military appeals court has ruled against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's effort to throw out the plea deals reached for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants in the 9/11 attacks, a US official said. The decision puts back on track the agreements that would have the three men...

6K Inmates Riot, Escape High-Security Prison

Mozambique continues to be gripped by violence after October elections

(Newser) - At least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique's capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, reports the AP , as widespread postelection riots and violence continue to engulf the country. Thirty-three prisoners died and 15 others were injured during a confrontation with security forces, said the...

DOJ to Pay $116M to Victims of 'Rape Club'

100-plus current, ex-prisoners say they were abused, mistreated at women's federal prison

(Newser) - The US government will pay nearly $116 million to resolve lawsuits brought by more than 100 women who say they were abused or mistreated at a now-shuttered federal prison in California that was known as the "Rape Club" due to rampant sexual misconduct by the staff, reports the AP...

After 32 Years in Syrian Prisons, 'Freedom' at Last

Suheil Hamwi describes his arrest, torture, and return to Lebanon

(Newser) - Suheil Hamwi spent 32 years in a Syrian prison, and now, after an offensive by insurgents that toppled the government of Bashar Assad, he's finally returned to his home in Lebanon, per the AP . In 1992, Hamwi worked as a merchant, selling various goods in the town of Chekka...

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...

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