Indiana inmates making masks to help flatten COVID-19 curve
Inmates at two Indiana correctional facilities on opposite ends of the state are working to flatten the curve of COVID-19 by making masks for fellow inmates and staff.
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Imprisoned exec says COVID-19 risks justify his release
Paul Elmer, the 69-year-old former CEO of Pharmakon Pharmaceuticals, is desperately trying to win early release from federal prison in Terre Haute, saying he fears he’ll contract COVID-19 there and die.
Good time credit restored after inmate wins habeas petition
In noting the state did not provide any evidence to support its arguments, the Southern Indiana District Court restored an inmate’s earned credit time which he had lost for refusing to participate in a sex offender program.
Home again: Elkhart man released after 15 years in prison, but case likely isn’t over
Andrew Royer has been granted a new trial after a special judge determined his 2005 trial was tainted by false evidence and coercive investigative techniques that exploited his mental disability. But the possibility of a retrial remains.
Justices deny ACLU petition to release inmates amid COVID-19
Indiana Supreme Court justices have denied a petition from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana inviting the high court to engage in emergency rulemaking to facilitate the release of Hoosier inmates at risk for contracting COVID-19.
Judge denies inmate request for release over COVID-19 risk
An inmate facing drug and weapons charges who claims he is at a higher risk of contracting the novel coronavirus has been denied his request to be released to home detention for his health.
AG Hill: Supreme Court lacks authority to order release of DOC inmates
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is asking the Indiana Supreme Court to decline a request to use its rulemaking authority to order the release of inmates vulnerable to the novel coronavirus.
Federal judge throws out jury verdict against Marion County deputy
A jury verdict against a Marion County sheriff’s deputy in a jail inmate’s excessive force case has been vacated after a federal magistrate judge found insufficient evidence to support an excessive-force conviction.
Porter Co. judge keeps pregnant inmate in jail to protect unborn child
A northwestern Indiana judge declined to release a pregnant inmate from jail after her mother pleaded to keep her locked up, saying her daughter’s history of substance abuse threatens the life of her unborn child.
State leaders urge release of low-risk inmates, non-violent juveniles
Leaders of all three branches of state government issued a joint letter Friday providing local communities guidance in releasing those detained in jails, correctional facilities and juvenile detention in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Legislation on summonses revisited amid pandemic
Legislation that would have favored summons over jail time for low-level misdemeanors didn’t pass the Indiana Senate, but in light of COVID-19 restrictions, the Indiana Supreme Court urged trial courts to take a similar approach. Local law enforcement seems to be following suit to keep inmates at low risk for exposure.
ACLU of Indiana petitions to release inmates at risk for coronavirus
An emergency petition submitted Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is requesting immediate action from the Indiana Supreme Court to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the Indiana Department of Correction and Indiana’s county jails.
Fort Wayne jail releases 25 inmates early amid pandemic
Twenty-five jail inmates in Fort Wayne have received early releases amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
Howard County sheriff fires six jail officers for misconduct
Six jail officers in Kokomo have been fired for misconduct dating back to early December, officials said.
Southern Indiana jail officer charged with sexually assaulting woman
A southwestern Indiana correctional officer has been arrested after a female inmate he was transporting accused him of assaulting her. Malyk Jawaun Johnson, 23, of Montgomery was charged Wednesday with sexual battery, official misconduct and trafficking with an inmate, Indiana State Police said.
Justice center’s first building — addictions, mental health center — nears completion
City leaders can look southeast out the top floors of the City-County Building and see the Community Justice Campus taking shape in the Twin Aire neighborhood. Today, officials are just six months from a tentative opening for the first piece of the project, the 37,000-square-foot Assessment and Intervention Center.
Deceased inmate’s estate case against DOC reinstated on appeal
The estate of an inmate who died in the Indiana Department of Corrections from complications arising from lupus and a blood clotting disorder had its case reinstated Monday against the DOC and its medical services contractor.
ACLU files Wabash County Jail overcrowding suit
Raising allegations of unconstitutional conditions, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit against Wabash County for “chronic” jail overcrowding.
Lake County man charged in stabbing attack on his grandparents
The grandmother of a northwestern Indiana man charged in a knife attack on her and her husband said it was like a “horror movie” when their grandson allegedly grabbed a butcher knife and began stabbing them. Nicholas Powers, 22, is charged with two counts each of attempted murder and battery, along with other charges, in the Jan. 28 attack near the town of Dyer.
Suspended lawyer accused of thefts from disabled clients jailed on warrant
A suspended Greenwood lawyer accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from disabled and injured clients whose special-needs trusts he established and then allegedly used for his own purposes is in jail in Muncie, where he may remain until standing trial on criminal charges around the state. Kenneth “Shane” Service, 46, was booked into the Delaware County Jail on Thursday, according to jail records.