Crime Scene: Prison Beat


Posted at 08:17 AM ET, 12/13/2011

Md. inmate’s death ruled homicide
By the Associated Press
Fifty-seven-year-old Lewis J. Thompson Jr. was found in his cell at the North Branch Correctional Institution on Dec. 8.

By the Associated Press  |  08:17 AM ET, 12/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Anne Arundel, Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 11:11 AM ET, 12/05/2011

Transgender Va. inmate wants sex change operation
By the Associated Press
Ophelia De’Lonta was born a man.

By the Associated Press  |  11:11 AM ET, 12/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  From the Courthouse, Virginia, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:39 AM ET, 11/29/2011

Lockdown for Md. prison after live bullets found
By the Associated Press
The .22-caliber bullets were found Nov. 21

By the Associated Press  |  08:39 AM ET, 11/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:39 AM ET, 11/03/2011

22 prison gang members face racketeering indictment
By the Associated Press
The indictment was unsealed Wednesday after the arrests of seven defendants.

By the Associated Press  |  07:39 AM ET, 11/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  From the Courthouse, Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:51 AM ET, 10/21/2011

Civil trial in Md. inmate’s bus ride killing
By the Associated Press
Philip Parker Jr.’s relatives are seeking $21 million plus punitive damages.

By the Associated Press  |  07:51 AM ET, 10/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  From the Courthouse, Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:40 AM ET, 10/06/2011

Assault charges for 2 Md. correctional officers
By the Associated Press
Maryland’s prison agency says two correctional officers face possible termination after they were charged with assaulting an inmate.

By the Associated Press  |  07:40 AM ET, 10/06/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 12:01 PM ET, 09/29/2011

Pa. inmates may be pulled from Va. prisons
By Maria Glod
Pennsylvania has signaled that it intends to stop paying Virginia to house inmates, a move corrections officials said would financially strain Virginia’s prison system.

By Maria Glod  |  12:01 PM ET, 09/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maria Glod, Virginia, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:53 AM ET, 09/21/2011

$350K grant to help combat cell phones in Md. prisons
By the Associated Press
Maryland public safety officials say they’ll use a $350,000 federal grant to intensify the fight to keep cell phones out of prisons in Baltimore.

By the Associated Press  |  07:53 AM ET, 09/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Baltimore, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:48 AM ET, 09/19/2011

Md. to sell apples grown at prison complex
By the Associated Press
The Maryland Division of Correction says it’s selling apples grown at a prison complex near Hagerstown to the Maryland Food Bank.

By the Associated Press  |  08:48 AM ET, 09/19/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:17 AM ET, 09/07/2011

No medical pardon for Va. inmate
By the Associated Press
State officials have rejected a medical pardon request from an inmate with heart problems.

By the Associated Press  |  08:17 AM ET, 09/07/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Virginia

Posted at 08:12 AM ET, 09/06/2011

Inmates to give gift to young cancer patients
By the Associated Press
Maximum-security inmates at a state prison near Cumberland are making a gift to childhood cancer patients.

By the Associated Press  |  08:12 AM ET, 09/06/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 03:20 PM ET, 07/29/2011

ACLU: Virginia prisons must help Muslims stick to Ramadan diets
By The Associated Press
The group said Friday it has reminded jail officials across Virginia that Muslim take their meals between sundown and sunrise during Ramadan, which begins Aug. 1

By The Associated Press  |  03:20 PM ET, 07/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Virginia, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:01 AM ET, 07/21/2011

Convicted murderer charged with Md. jail escape attempt
By The Daily Times of Salisbury
A man awaiting sentencing on a first-degree murder conviction has been accused of trying to escape from a Maryland jail.

By The Daily Times of Salisbury  |  08:01 AM ET, 07/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:01 AM ET, 07/21/2011

Murder charge for Md. inmate in cellmate’s death
By the Associated Press
A Maryland state prison inmate faces a first-degree murder charge in the beating and asphyxiation of his cellmate at the Western Correctional Institution near Cumberland.

By the Associated Press  |  08:01 AM ET, 07/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:01 AM ET, 07/21/2011

Md. inmate charged with killing cellmate with television
By the Associated Press
A Maryland state prison inmate is charged with using a television set to murder his cellmate.

By the Associated Press  |  08:01 AM ET, 07/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Maryland, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:56 AM ET, 06/30/2011

Prison lockdown after Va. tuberculosis scare
By the Richmond Times-Dispatch
A possible tuberculosis case has prompted Virginia officials to lock down the housing unit of a prison in Richmond County.

By the Richmond Times-Dispatch  |  08:56 AM ET, 06/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:36 AM ET, 05/09/2011

Man runs program to help prisoners adjust to release
By The News & Advance
Rescued from an early life of drugs and jail time by faith and kindly ministers, Roger Paul, 60, now dedicates his time to helping prisoners learn to live after their releases, with the goal of never seeing them behind bars again.

By The News & Advance  |  07:36 AM ET, 05/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Virginia

Posted at 07:56 AM ET, 04/26/2011

Prison rape hearings include Va. officials
By The Associated Press
The people who run prisons with some of the highest and lowest reported incidence of rape will testify at a hearing in Washington.

By The Associated Press  |  07:56 AM ET, 04/26/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Virginia

Posted at 12:03 PM ET, 04/15/2011

Thieves targeting under-construction Va. jail
By
Thieves are targeting a regional jail that’s being built in Madison Heights, Va.

By  |  12:03 PM ET, 04/15/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Virginia

Posted at 07:39 AM ET, 03/03/2011

Rastafarian inmates moved in Va.
By Associated Press
Rastafarian and other inmates who refuse to cut their hair have been moved to a maximum security prison as corrections officials continue to try to get them to comply with the state's grooming policy. In November the Department of Corrections...

By Associated Press  |  07:39 AM ET, 03/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Updates, Virginia

Posted at 07:38 AM ET, 03/01/2011

Prisoners' legal guide for Va. inmates
By The Daily Progress
A legal guide to challenging prison mistreatment is being made available to Virginia prisoners. A lawsuit settlement agreement in federal court in Charlottesville calls for five copies of the previously banned "Jailhouse Lawyer's Handbook" to be placed in each prison's...

By The Daily Progress  |  07:38 AM ET, 03/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Virginia

Posted at 07:51 AM ET, 02/01/2011

Prison phone crackdown working
By Washington Post Editors
Maryland's prison agency says its crackdown on cell phone smuggling is showing results. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said Monday that the number of cell phones found in the prisons dropped 32 percent in fiscal year 2010...

By Washington Post Editors  |  07:51 AM ET, 02/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:52 AM ET, 11/11/2010

Conviction in Md. inmate slaying
By the Associated Press
A jury has convicted a state prison inmate charged with strangling the killer of two adolescent girls of voluntary manslaughter. Thirty-six-year-old Christopher White had been charged with murdering cellmate Clarence Meyers Jr. in December at the North Branch Correctional...

By the Associated Press  |  07:52 AM ET, 11/11/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:31 AM ET, 11/09/2010

Trial for Md. inmate in strangling case
By the Associated Press
A Maryland state prison inmate faces trial on a first-degree murder charge that's the latest chapter in a tragic story. Thirty-six-year-old Christopher White was scheduled for trial Tuesday. He is accused of strangling cellmate Clarence Meyers Jr. in December at...

By the Associated Press  |  07:31 AM ET, 11/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:41 AM ET, 11/05/2010

Md. inmates to prepare charity turkeys
By Associated Press
The Maryland Division of Correction says state prison inmates near Hagerstown are continuing their tradition of preparing turkeys for a charity Thanksgiving dinner in Baltimore. Inmates were set to unload 350 frozen turkeys Friday from a tractor-trailer at the Maryland...

By Associated Press  |  07:41 AM ET, 11/05/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 10:52 AM ET, 10/19/2010

Inmate teleconferencing considered
By Washington Post Editors
Maryland correctional officials hope to trim costs from their transportation budget by installing a teleconferencing system that would allow inmates to make court appearances and doctors’ visits without leaving the prison. Gary D. Maynard, secretary of the Maryland Department of...

By Washington Post Editors  |  10:52 AM ET, 10/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 10:27 AM ET, 08/25/2010

Md. inmate acquitted of guard assault
By Washington Post Editors
A Maryland state prison inmate has been acquitted of assaulting a correctional officer at the Roxbury Correctional Institution near Hagerstown after the state acknowledged that a key piece of its evidence wasn't credible. The state conceded its case against Robert...

By Washington Post Editors  |  10:27 AM ET, 08/25/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:41 AM ET, 08/13/2010

Juvenile facilities improved: O'Malley
By Washington Post Editors
Maryland has made great strides to improve its troubled juvenile justice system, Gov. Martin O'Malley said Thursday as he announced the end of federal oversight at Baltimore's juvenile detention center. The federal government notified the state late Wednesday that the...

By Washington Post Editors  |  07:41 AM ET, 08/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 02:49 PM ET, 07/30/2010

Inmate escapes from Md. prison
By Washington Post Editors
The Maryland corrections department says an inmate has escaped from a state prison in Hagerstown. Authorities are looking for 51-year-old Dominic Webster. He's white, 5 feet and 9 inches tall, and weighs 160 pounds. He has short, gray hair, a...

By Washington Post Editors  |  02:49 PM ET, 07/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 07:57 AM ET, 07/15/2010

Shower beating in Md. prison
By Washington Post Editors
A Maryland corrections official says an inmate at the Jessup Correctional Institution was injured when he was beaten in the shower. Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services spokesman Mark Vernarelli says the 21-year-old inmate serving 40 years for murder...

By Washington Post Editors  |  07:57 AM ET, 07/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:34 AM ET, 06/09/2010

Md. escapee caught with gun
By Washington Post Editors
Maryland State Police say an escapee from the maximum-security Western Correctional Institution near Cumberland was carrying a loaded, .22-caliber handgun when he was caught. Trooper First Class Jason Langley tells the Cumberland Times-News that Kevin Corcoran broke into an unoccupied...

By Washington Post Editors  |  08:34 AM ET, 06/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 08:56 AM ET, 04/06/2010

Long-term inmate health care needs improvement, Md. report says
By Washington Post Editors
A state audit says there have been some improvements in inmate health care at Maryland prisons, but more needs to be done to help inmates with long-term conditions. The Office of Legislative Audits released a report Monday on the state...

By Washington Post Editors  |  08:56 AM ET, 04/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 11:38 AM ET, 01/22/2010

Anne Arundel inmate pleads guilty to setting fire at Md. prison
By Washington Post Editors
A state prison inmate has pleaded guilty to starting a fire outside the Maryland Correctional Institution near Hagerstown. Twenty-five-year-old Allan Clark pleaded guilty Thursday in Hagerstown to one count of malicious burning and was sentenced to 18 months in prison....

By Washington Post Editors  |  11:38 AM ET, 01/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat

Posted at 02:07 PM ET, 12/28/2009

Va. women's prison warden to retire amid questions
By Washington Post Editors
The warden at Virginia's largest women's prison is retiring amid allegations the prison discriminated against gay inmates and denied others access to religious services. Department of Corrections spokesman Larry Traylor says Barbara Wheeler is retiring as warden of Fluvanna Correctional...

By Washington Post Editors  |  02:07 PM ET, 12/28/2009 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Prison Beat, Prison Beat