Lesson 1Limits on punishment: due process, disciplinary procedures, and grievance systemsThis lesson details how due process restricts punishment in facilities, covering disciplinary hearings, sanctions, and grievance mechanisms, and guides staff on proper documentation, notification, and lawful responses to inmate complaints.
Progressive discipline and allowable sanctionsNotice, evidence, and hearing requirementsImpartial decision makers and bias concernsInmate grievance steps and time limitsRetaliation bans and grievance protectionsLesson 2Religious freedom and free exercise protections for inmatesThis lesson explores religious freedom in custody, including free exercise safeguards, substantial burden assessments, RLUIPA guidelines, and methods to assess requests for diets, services, and items while upholding safety, order, and impartiality.
Free exercise basics in correctional settingsRLUIPA standards and substantial burdenRecognizing sincere religious beliefsReligious diets, services, and chaplaincySecurity limits on religious items and ritualsLesson 3Liability and accountability for correctional staff (criminal, civil, administrative)This lesson outlines criminal, civil, and administrative liabilities for staff, explaining typical offences, Section 1983 claims, qualified immunity fundamentals, internal discipline, and ways policies, training, and oversight lessen personal and organisational risks.
Criminal misconduct and abuse of authorityCivil rights suits under 42 U.S.C. § 1983Negligence, deliberate indifference, and harmInternal discipline and professional standardsRisk reduction through policy and trainingLesson 4Legal obligations for supervision, reporting, and chain of custody of evidenceThis lesson addresses legal duties in inmate supervision, incident reporting, and evidence preservation, covering documentation standards, chain of custody protocols, and the impacts of mishandling records or evidence on legal proceedings and staff accountability.
Direct supervision duties and roundsIncident reporting timelines and contentUse-of-force and injury documentationEvidence collection and labeling rulesMaintaining secure chain of custodyLesson 5Rights related to health care, mental health, and disability accommodations (ADA in correctional settings)This lesson explains inmate entitlements to medical and mental health care plus disability accommodations, including deliberate indifference standards, treatment access, suicide prevention, ADA and Rehabilitation Act obligations, and recording of clinical choices.
Serious medical needs and legal standardsAccess to sick call, triage, and referralsMental health care and suicide preventionADA eligibility, requests, and assessmentsReasonable modifications and safety limitsLesson 6Use-of-force law: legal standards, case law (e.g., Hudson v. McMillian, Graham v. Connor) and objective reasonablenessThis lesson covers legal standards for use of force, such as objective reasonableness, proportionality, and landmark cases like Hudson and Graham, connecting policy, training, reporting, and video evidence to legal evaluations and responsibility.
Constitutional bases for use-of-force rulesObjective reasonableness and totality testsHudson v. McMillian and excessive forceGraham v. Connor and force factorsReporting, video, and post-incident reviewLesson 7Constitutional rights retained by incarcerated persons (Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments)This lesson reviews constitutional protections that persist during incarceration, concentrating on Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, including cruel and unusual punishment, equal protection, due process, and judicial balancing of rights against security.
Eighth Amendment and conditions of confinementExcessive force and failure to protect claimsMedical care and deliberate indifferenceProcedural due process in prison decisionsEqual protection and discrimination issuesLesson 8Statutory and regulatory rights under state law and Department of Corrections policiesThis lesson describes how state laws and Department of Corrections regulations influence inmate rights and staff duties, addressing policy structures, rulemaking, inmate notifications, and consequences of breaches on lawsuits, inspections, and disciplinary actions.
Sources of state correctional authorityDOC policy manuals and directivesAdministrative rulemaking and updatesInmate handbooks and rule notificationAudits, inspections, and compliance reviewsLesson 9Search and privacy law in prisons: cell searches, strip searches, mail, and electronic monitoringThis lesson tackles search and privacy regulations in prisons, encompassing cell and body searches, mail inspections, and electronic surveillance, explaining lowered privacy expectations, legal boundaries, documentation, and protections against misuse or reprisal.
Reduced privacy expectations in custodyCell and property searches and logsStrip searches and body cavity rulesLegal limits on mail review and seizurePhone, email, and video monitoring rules
