prison – WUVS 103.7 The Beat

Prison guards forcefully shaved off his dreadlocks: The Supreme Court will determine if he can sue for violation of his religious rights

When prison officials in Louisiana cut the dreadlocks of a prisoner in their care, they may have violated his religious rights — or at least that’s what the Supreme Court is gearing up to determine. On Monday, Nov. 10, the nation’s highest court will hear arguments in the case of “Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety,” which will decide whether a devout Rastafarian can sue state prison officials for monetary damages after they forcibly shaved his hair […]

November 10, 2025

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Facing 17 years in prison, Rep. McIver says Trump’s ‘woke’ attack on her reveals deeper bias: ‘I’m their target’

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., is undeterred after pleading not guilty in a federal prosecution brought by the Trump administration. “The facts are on my side…I have no doubt that I will be victorious,” McIver told theGrio shortly after leaving a New Jersey courthouse where she was arraigned for her three-count indictment, for which she is accused of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers.” McIver faces up to 17 years in prison for a May altercation outside of a […]

June 26, 2025

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Ex-US Rep. George Santos sentenced to over 7 years in prison for fraud and identity theft

Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who lied about his life story and defrauded donors, was sentenced Friday to over seven years in prison, sobbing as he heard his punishment. Santos, who pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, appealed for mercy, telling a court through tears that he was “humbled” and “chastised” and realized he had betrayed his constituents’ trust. “I offer my deepest apologies,” he said, adding: “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control […]

April 25, 2025 1

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Brooklyn preacher who boasted of ties to NYC mayor gets 9 years in prison for multiyear fraud

NEW YORK (AP) — A flashy Brooklyn preacher who has played up connections to New York City’s mayor was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for multiple frauds. Lamor Miller-Whitehead, 45, of Paramus, New Jersey, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge Lorna G. Schofield, who said she didn’t see meaningful remorse from the Rolls Royce-driving bishop convicted of fleecing one parishioner out of $90,000 in retirement savings, among other scams. In a rambling statement, Miller-Whitehead claimed he […]

June 19, 2024

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Watch: Michael Cohen’s lawyer says Trump should serve this much time in prison

Lanny Davis, the former attorney for Michael Cohen, who joins theGrio’s “The Hill with April Ryan” this week, is calling for jail time for the now-convicted felon and former President Donald Trump. Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, was sentenced to three years in prison. Davis, Cohen’s ex-attorney, suggested Trump should receive the same three-year prison sentence Cohen received in 2018, if not more. Cohen pleaded guilty to criminal tax evasion and campaign finance violations in connection to his work for Trump. Republicans, […]

June 10, 2024 1

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Nebraska bill gives voting rights back to people convicted of felonies once released from prison

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to restore the voting rights of those convicted of felonies upon the completion of their sentences, including prison and parole time. The bill, introduced for years by Omaha state Sen. Justin Wayne, passed by a wide margin in the last year of Wayne’s second term. He is barred by term limits from running this year for a third term. Currently, a person who has been convicted of a felony must […]

April 12, 2024

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Ex-NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin wants rights restored after prison stint

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who was convicted on federal bribery, money laundering and other corruption charges in 2014, has completed his 10-year sentence and is asking a federal judge to restore his rights to carry a gun and vote. But prosecutors said Thursday that the New Orleans-based judge has no authority to restore Nagin’s federal firearms rights, and that it’s up to the state of Texas, where he now lives, to decide on his voting privileges. […]

March 31, 2024 1

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Federal prison deaths report draws scrutiny from prison advocates

Prison advocates are calling attention to a scathing report from the Justice Department that details how mismanagement at federal prisons contributed to deaths of hundreds of inmates within the past decade. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on the Federal Bureau of Prisons released earlier this month found that 344 inmates died, the majority due to suicide or homicide, in federal institutions between 2014 and 2021. Other deaths were categorized as accidental or unknown, many of which involved […]

February 27, 2024 2