Commencement ETC PC

11/28/2025

11/27/2025

A librarian is accused of smuggling sheets of paper infused with synthetic ma*****na in a $65,000 drug ring at the Bristol County jail in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

She's one of five people charged in what the sheriff called the "largest alleged employee drug bust" in the jail's history.

The investigation began back in March after authorities discovered someone was smuggling synthetic ma*****na, also known as K-2 or "spice," into the jail.

According to the sheriff, 25-year-old inmate Joseph Housley of Rehoboth was selling thousands of dollars' worth of the drugs to other inmates, and he had help from four people on the outside.

One of them, investigators said, was the jail's librarian, 46-year-old Ginger Hook of New Bedford. They said she had smuggled the drugs several times in sheets of paper that were infused with synthetic ma*****na. Authorities then put her under surveillance in June.

They allegedly caught her attempting to deliver 13 pages of drug-laced paper to Housley. It was in a folder disguised as "legal work," according to Sheriff Paul Heroux.

"A sheet of K-2 is 8.5 by 11. On the street that'll go for about $50, roughly $50, but in jail, it's now going for about $5,000," Heroux said at a news conference Monday. He noted that the 13 sheets were worth approximately $65,000 when sold inside the jail.

A librarian is accused of smuggling sheets of paper infused with synthetic ma*****na in a drug ring at a Massachusetts jail.

11/26/2025

Approximately 20 incarcerated persons were involved in a riot at California State Prison, Sacramento on Monday, Nov. 10.

Officers immediately responded, using utilizing chemical agents, non-lethal force options, and warning shots to quell the incident. Upon gaining compliance, four incarcerated individuals were transported to an outside medical facility for further treatment. Four improvised weapons were discovered at the scene. No staff were injured.

Programs will be modified to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the riot.

Peer Support and Employee Assistance Program services are being offered to employees. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association was notified.

Since these incidents can be alarming, the department encourages staff to use departmental and local wellness resources.

Approximately 20 incarcerated persons were involved in a riot at California State Prison, Sacramento on Monday, Nov. 10.

11/26/2025

Friday morning, a civilian staff member at Marcy Correctional Facility was found dead of an apparent su***de.

The New York State Police reports that Abdalla Hadian, 55, was found deceased around 8 am. Hadian had recently returned to work at the Central NY prison after taking medical leave.

According to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Hadian used a firearm he had brought into the prison with him. Life saving measures were attempted, though they were unsuccessful.

Authorities do not suspect foul play.

The statement noted that this is the fourth su***de of a civilian employee who works for DOCCS in the past two years.

“It is a painful reminder of the extreme stress faced by those who work behind the walls. We urge the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to immediately examine and strengthen mental health and support services for staff. The well-being of the people who keep correctional facilities running must be a priority."

Staffing levels at prisons statewide have been low for several years. The staffing shortages became more extreme after an illegal strike this spring. About 2,000 corrections officers (representing about 15% of the security force) refused to return to work and were ultimately fired.

Authorities do not suspect foul play.

11/26/2025

A jury has awarded nearly $17 million to a San Diego resident who alleged in a lawsuit that while working as a clinical psychologist at a California state prison, she was retaliated against and discriminated against, then later fired after she made complaints about her working conditions.

Dr. Beth Fischgrund alleged in her lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that after she raised concerns regarding an inmate who threatened her with violence, she was not taken seriously and was later fired for reporting her concerns. After her firing, prison officials blacklisted her from working at any other state prisons and made false statements about her conduct, she alleged.

Fischgrund was awarded nearly $14 million in damages and $3 million in damages for defamation by a Sacramento County jury last week, in connection with her time working at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad.

Fischgrund alleged in her lawsuit that, among other things, another doctor at the prison made inappropriate and sexual comments towards her, and prison officials were aware that several women had made sexual harassment complaints against the doctor.

Later, an inmate also made sexual comments about her and claimed he would "cut her head off if we were not here but in my world," Fischgrund's attorneys said.

The attorneys said a "staff separation alert" should have been issued, which would have kept the inmate away from Fischgrund, but it never happened because managers told Fischgrund the inmate's threat wasn't credible.

Fischgrund emailed CDCR headquarters and her fellow clinicians regarding her safety concerns and was fired two days later for "misconduct."

After her termination, the lawsuit alleged Fischgrund was blacklisted from working at any other CDCR facilities and that prison officials made multiple, false and defamatory statements about her, all of which derailed her employment opportunities and took a toll on her mental health.

Dr. Fischgrund wins $17M verdict after alleging discrimination and defamation at CA prison.

11/25/2025

Five state prison guards accused of faking illnesses and workplace injuries to collect thousands of dollars in sick pay are facing felony charges, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office announced.

The guards, all current or former employees at the Ulster and Wallkill correctional facilities, were arrested this week following an 18-month investigation by the state Inspector General’s Office.

One correction officer is accused of working two state jobs at the same time. Another allegedly submitted 22 forged medical notes to fraudulently receive thousands in sick leave payments. In total, prosecutors allege the group stole more than $15,000 in unearned pay over the course of several years.

The arrests come after years of what state investigators have called “rampant abuse” of the workers’ compensation system by correction officers. A 2023 report by the state Inspector General’s Office concluded that officers’ systemic abuse of state benefits occurs statewide and is not correlated to an increase in violence or other conditions within the prisons.

KINGSTON — Five state prison guards accused of faking illnesses and workplace injuries to collect thousands of dollars in sick pay are facing felony charges, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office announced.

11/25/2025

Elisabeth Kingsbury, the interim director of the Washington Office of the Corrections Ombuds (OCO), announced that the 988-crisis hotline is now available to prison inmates.

Inmates often find it hard to express feelings of suicidality due to concerns of privacy and potential consequences, such as being placed on su***de watch. Mental health staff are usually unavailable after hours, which increases the risk of attempting su***de.

“The OCO recognized that providing a way for people to talk with a trained crisis counselor anonymously, with reduced potential for su***de watch placement, and after hours could be helpful in reducing su***de attempts and deaths,” Kingsbury said. “It could also provide an outlet for people to process feelings before they rise to crisis levels.”

After discussions, the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) agreed to make the 988-hotline accessible in all facilities.

OLYMPIA – Elisabeth Kingsbury, the interim director of the Washington Office of the Corrections Ombuds ...Read More

11/25/2025

11/25/2025

The Yates County Sheriff's Office said a county correctional officer was charged with DWI and immediately fired after showing up to work drunk Wednesday.

Bruce Hansen, 32, of Penn Yan drank alcohol before driving to work in his personal vehicle, according to the sheriff's office, reporting to work around 3 p.m.

The sheriff's office said Hansen was administered field sobriety tests and taken into custody before submitting to a chemical test and being released on uniform traffic tickets.

The Yates County Sheriff's Office said a county correctional officer was charged with DWI and immediately fired after showing up to work drunk Wednesday.

11/24/2025

Five corrections deputies in Pinellas County were fired after two separate and unrelated misconduct incidents at the Pinellas County Jail, according to the sheriff.

The first incident occurred on Aug. 11 as Deputy Jovan Hardwick was working as a detention deputy supervising an inmate housing unit.

"An inmate with mental health conditions refused to remove their hands and arms from the food trap in the cell door," a press release from the sheriff's office states. "Deputy Hardwick retrieved a can of Lysol out of his personal backpack and sprayed the inmate in the face through the open food trap. Deputy Hardwick then slammed the Lysol can onto the inmate’s hands in an attempt to gain compliance."

During the investigation, Deputy Hardwick lied multiple times about what happened, despite video evidence, according to the sheriff's office.

The second incident occurred on May 15. It involved Lieutenant Jason Franjesevic, Sergeant Keri-Lyn Colosimo, Corporal Emmanuel Nomikos, and Deputy Katherine Cantrell while they were working in the booking area of the Pinellas County Jail.

"A female inmate, who was arrested for disorderly conduct, was wrongfully deemed uncooperative and placed in a cell with no toilet while handcuffed and shackled after being held in a transport van with no bathroom for three hours," the release states. "Due to not having a toilet, the inmate proceeded to pull her jail issued uniform pants down and urinate into the floor drain. Due to the inmate being handcuffed behind her back and shackled, she bent over in a position where her buttocks and ge***al area were exposed while trying to pull up her pants."

At this time, Deputy Cantrell took a photo of the inmate on her personal cellphone, the release states.

"After taking the photo, it was sent to multiple people including Sergeant Colosimo, displayed on one of the booking computers by Corporal Nomikos , and a printed copy was shown to the inmate by Lieutenant Franjesevic," according to the sheriff's office. "During this time, disrespectful and derogatory remarks were made by all parties involved while laughing about the situation."

As a result of these two separate investigations, the Administrative Review Board determined that Deputy Hardwick, Lieutenant Franjesevic, Sergeant Colosimo, Corporal Nomikos, and Deputy Cantrell violated Sheriff’s Office policy and have all been terminated from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. -- Five corrections deputies in Pinellas County were fired after two separate and unrelated misconduct incidents at the Pinellas County Ja