News from The Appeal
A Georgia court has ordered a new trial for Danyel Smith, who was convicted in 2003 of killing his two-month-old son in a case that relied on a Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) diagnosis. Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Kimberly A. Gallant ruled that evolving scientific research on SBS, also known as Abusive Head Trauma, constitutes …
A proposed class-action lawsuit filed in March 2026 alleges that the Tennessee Department of Correction violated the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause by confiscating tablets from incarcerated people and failing to transfer purchased digital content—including music, emails, and photographs—after switching tablet vendors from JPay to ViaPath. The complaint states that under the new contract, TDOC receives …
A new article from The Appeal and Truthout reports that incarcerated transgender people face heightened risks of violence and discrimination, with prison policies often exacerbating these dangers. The piece highlights the case of Gia Valentina, a transgender woman in New Jersey who was denied transfer to a women’s prison after undergoing gender-affirming surgery, leaving her …
A federal judge ruled that conditions on the Farm Line at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola), where incarcerated workers are forced to labor in extreme heat for as little as zero to four cents an hour, violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, citing a recent Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision …
A recent article highlights the push for Adrienne’s Act in California, which would mandate cooling systems and heat-relief protocols in state prisons following the 2024 heat-related death of incarcerated woman Adrienne Boulware. The bill, which has passed committee stages, would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to implement plans for cooled living quarters, …
The federal Bureau of Prisons headquarters in Washington, D.C.Wikimedia Commons | AgnosticPreachersKid Elizabeth Weill-GreenbergApr 09, 2026 Share Copy Link Email Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp Reddit LinkedIn In a scathing ruling, a federal judge lambasted the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for neglecting the medical needs of incarcerated people, comparing federal lock-ups to the “Soviet Gulag.” “Outside …
Philadelphia, PAajay_suresh | Wikimedia Commons Elizabeth Weill-GreenbergMar 18, 2026 Share Copy Link Email Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp Reddit LinkedIn A federal lawsuit filed by West Virginia prisoners alleges that Aramark Corporation serves inedible, low-quality food in its prison cafeterias to drive customers to its food-for-purchase programs. Last year, people incarcerated at West Virginia’s Mt. Olive …
Voices Donald Tong / Pexels Nick Hacheney, Tomas KeenMay 20, 2025 Share Copy Link Email Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp Reddit LinkedIn Jerry stormed into his cell, shaking with rage. He threw his coat and gloves in a pile on his bunk and looked around for something to smash. It’s futile, and he knows it. The …
Fifaliana Joy via Pixabay Antoine Davis, Christopher BlackwellMay 07, 2025 Share Copy Link Email Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp Reddit LinkedIn In 1978, the Oscar-winning documentary “Scared Straight!” popularized the idea that the best way to prevent young people from incarceration is to scare them. The film focuses on a group of “juvenile delinquents” who get …
Newsletter Andy Luo / Unsplash Aaron Edward Olson and Randy BrennanApr 09, 2025 Share Copy Link Email Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp Reddit LinkedIn Prisons are designed for control, not compassion. Rows of razor wire, towering walls, and unyielding steel doors remind us we’re meant to be forgotten. For those of us serving life and long …