Latest Prisons News

At least 15 inmates killed in a fight in Ecuador's largest prison

Nov. 12, 2024 22:35 PM EST

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A fight among inmates in Ecuador’s largest and most dangerous prison left 15 dead and 14 wounded, authorities said Tuesday, in the bloodiest prison episode faced by President Daniel Noboa’s government. Authorities attributed the outbreak to internal...

Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts 'lawfare' as he faces New York trial after federal prison stint

Nov. 12, 2024 18:35 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — After spending four months in federal prison for snubbing a congressional subpoena, conservative strategist Steve Bannon had a message Tuesday for prosecutors in cases against him and President-elect Donald Trump. “You wait. The hunted are about to become the...

Judge moves to slash $38 million verdict in New Hampshire youth center abuse case

Nov. 12, 2024 17:12 PM EST

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The judge who oversaw a landmark civil trial over abuse at New Hampshire’s youth detention center has issued a preliminary order slashing the $38 million verdict against the state to $475,000. Rockingham County Superior Court Judge Andrew Schulman previously said reducing...

Panel advises Illinois commemorate its role in helping slaves escape the South

Nov. 12, 2024 16:48 PM EST

In the decades leading up to the Civil War, fearless throngs defied prison or worse to secretly shuttle as many as 7,000 slaves escaped from the South on a months-long slog through Illinois and on to freedom. On Tuesday, a task force of lawmakers and historians recommended creating a full-time...

Jury awards Abu Ghraib detainees $42 million, holds contractor responsible

Nov. 12, 2024 15:14 PM EST

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A U.S. jury on Tuesday awarded $42 million to three former detainees of Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib prison, holding a Virginia-based military contractor responsible for contributing to their torture and mistreatment two decades ago. The decision from the...

Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after no contact with her family for 20 months

Nov. 12, 2024 14:42 PM EST

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Imprisoned Belarusian opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova has resurfaced after more than 20 months without any communication with relatives or friends and met with her father, a human rights group said Tuesday. Kolesnikova, one of the most popular and...

Apologetic rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine gets 45 days in prison for probation violations

Nov. 12, 2024 13:33 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — Apologetic rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was sentenced Tuesday to 45 days in prison by a federal judge who said repeated violations of his probation after his cooperation against a violent gang won him leniency in a criminal case show that he doesn't have sufficient respect for judicial...

Minnesota county to pay $3.4M to end lawsuit over detainee's death

Nov. 12, 2024 12:39 PM EST

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's most populous county will pay $3.4 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged jail workers ignored the pleas of a 41-year-old man who died of a perforated bowel after spending days begging to be taken to a hospital. The lawsuit was filed in January by...

Board approves Arkansas site for planned 3,000-inmate prison despite objections

Nov. 12, 2024 11:16 AM EST

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Board of Corrections on Friday approved an 815-acre site for a planned prison to hold 3,000 inmates, despite objections from residents and local officials that they were blindsided by the state's purchase of the land. The board voted to accept...

Moroccan journalist sentenced to 1.5 years after remarks about politician

Nov. 11, 2024 15:41 PM EST

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A Moroccan journalist who accused a prominent politician of fraud was sentenced to prison Monday in a case that has sparked international condemnation from press freedom advocates. Hamid Mahdaoui will serve a 1.5-year sentence and be fined an equivalent of...