1. Hartford, Conn. — Republican Gov. Jodi Rell vetoed legislation that would have eliminated the death penalty in the state of Connecticut. The state Democratic-controlled assembly does not have the required two-thirds majority vote which would enable them to override the governor’s veto. Currently there are 10 prisoners on Connecticut’s death row awaiting execution.
2. Rancho Murrieta, Calif. — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Undersecretary Scott Michael Kernan was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving. The state-owned vehicle Kernan was driving the time of his arrest is a benefit that goes with his $157,000-a-year salary. His arraignment was scheduled for July 16 in Sacramento County.
3. Chicago, Ill. — A Chicago police officer, William Cozzi, whose attack on a hand-cuffed man in a wheel chair was caught on video, has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison. The victim of officer Cozzi’s beating was the victim of an earlier stabbing and was brought to the hospital where Cozzi was sent to investigate.
4. Philadelphia, Penn. — To settle a class-action lawsuit the city of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $5.9 million in damages to people who were strip searched by prison guards after being arrested for misdemeanors and traffic violations. The courts have ruled that such searches for people who are incarcerated for minor crimes are degrading and unconstitutional.
5. Richmond, VA — Death row inmate Daryl Atkins whose case set precedent for a national ban on executing mentally retarded offenders, will spend the rest of his life in prison after a 5-2 decision the Supreme Court upheld a York County Court’s decision to commute his sentence to life without the possibility of parole.
6. Lansing, Mich. — In a move to save the state more than $118 million, Michigan officials announced that they will close three prisons this year as well as five minimum security prison camps. One thousand correctional employees will be affected by the closures.
7. Petros, Tenn. — The prison which held Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassin James Earl Ray and Tennessee’s most violent criminals is closing after 113 years. The Brushy Mountain Correctional complex became too expensive for the state to upgrade and maintain, which prompted the closure. The prison employed more people in Morgan County (40 miles northwest of Knoxville) than any other industry.
8. Phoenix, Ariz. — Prostitute Marcia Powell, serving a two year sentence at Perryville State Prison, was placed in one of the facilities outdoor holding pens for almost four hours. Powell collapsed and died in the 108-degee heat, prompting a criminal investigation and a ban on the use of the outdoor detention cells.
9. Carson City, Nev. — A smoking ban that was scheduled to take effect July 1 in the Nevada state prison system is expected to increase tensions among prison guards and inmates who smoke, according to a prison union spokesman. The ban is similar to tobacco product bans in other states, which are said to reduce medical costs attributed to smoking-related illnesses.
10. New York, NY. — Bernard Madoff, perpetrator of a $170 billion ponzi scheme, was sentenced to 150 years in prison. Madoff was sent to a medium security prison where he will more than likely die before completing his sentence.
11. Philadelphia, Penn. — Attorney H. Beatty Chadwick was released from prison after serving 14 years on a civil contempt charge stemming from his refusal to turn over millions of dollars to his ex-wife in a divorce settlement. Chadwick served the longest sentence in U.S. history for civil contempt.
12. Santa Fe, New Mexico — Two men on death row face execution after the state officially abolished the death penalty last March. New Mexico’s law abolishing the death penalty applies to murders committed after July 1, leaving Robert Fry and Timothy Allen eligible to receive capital punishment. Their criminal cases are currently in the lengthy appeals process, which means they may be executed more than ten years after the state passed the abolition law.
13. Columbia, SC. — Prison officials representing more than 24 states have signed a petition asking permission from the FCC to jam cell phone signals inside of the nation’s state penitentiaries to stop inmates from using smuggled cell phones to make unauthorized calls.
14. Georgia — State officials, faced with tight budgets, have cut prisoner meals from three a day down to two in an effort to save money. Two meals will be served to state prisoners three days a week: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The ACLU is investigating if the state’s meal cuts are unconstitutional.
15. Rockville, Ind. — JPay developed a system which uses ATM-like kiosks giving inmates the ability to video conference friends and family members. The system allows 1200 inmates at the Rockville Correctional Facility to conference with previously approved people from their home or office for a fee of $12.50 for 30 minutes. JPay covered the cost of the kiosks and their installation and visitors must have a web. camera and an internet connection.
