Recent Legal Developments

Abstract

While the two preceding issues of the Criminal Justice Review have surveyed criminal justice decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, the present issue offers a selection of correctional case law highlightsfrom lower federal and state courts. Increased judicial activism in certain areas of correctional administration and procedure is attributable in part to earlier efforts by the Supreme Court of the United States to establish constitutional standards in those areas. Examples include prison disciplinary proceedings, institutional overcrowding, and inmates'religious practices. In numerous other areas of correctional law courts have looked to otherjurisdictionsfor guidance. In reading the case summaries which follow it is important to remember that these decisions do not create binding precedent outside the jurisdictions in which they were decided. In addition, some of the decisions summarized are on appeal or for other reasons are subject to alteration in subsequent proceedings.

Most of the cases summarized arefrom the latter half of 1981 and early 1982. Unsigned summaries were prepared by the permanent staff of the Review, signed summaries by Georgia State University Criminal Justice students.