FILE - A Lexington, Miss., police cruiser is parked outside their facility near the town square, Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. The Lexington police department unconstitutionally jailed people for unpaid fines without first assessing whether they could afford to pay them, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
A New Orleans jail worker received a 2.5-year prison sentence Thursday for enabling 10 inmates to escape through a hole behind a toilet after he turned off its water. Custodian Sterling Williams pleaded guilty to one count of malfeasance in office for his role in enabling one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history. Williams’ attorney, Michael Kennedy, said that Williams did not intentionally help the escapees but acknowledged not following proper protocol when fixing a clogged toilet. All 10 of the inmates who escaped from the jail in May 2025 were eventually captured. At least 14 other people have been arrested and accused of aiding in their escape.
A New York man shot and wounded by federal immigration officers while driving with his young son has appeared before an immigration judge in Manhattan. Oscar Belgal barely spoke as he joined the brief court hearing Thursday via livestream from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The 28-year-old native of the Dominican Republic attempted to say something to the judge about his living conditions at the jail, but his lawyer advised him against it. Karene Brown, of the Legal Aid Society, says Belgal has been on 24-hour lockdown with no access to a phone to speak with his family. He still has a bullet lodged in his neck from the ICE shooting.
Two of Israel’s leading human rights groups are sounding the alarm about a surge of mostly Palestinian inmates being shot by guards with rubber bullets at close range. The groups have documented 22 cases, mostly involving Palestinians, since last fall. They sent a letter to the Israel Prison Service in August, urging an end to what they described as "widespread" and "unlawful" behavior. The prison service says it uses rubber bullets in "measured" ways. Some prisoners and detainees report not receiving medical care after being shot, and some injuries have been severe.
FILE - An Israeli police officer stands outside Ofer military prison near Jerusalem, on Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean, File)
A Mexican judge has closed the case against Francisco Garduño, former head of the country’s immigration agency, related to the 2023 fire at a Ciudad Juárez detention center. The fire killed 40 migrants and injured 30 others. The judge ruled Wednesday that measures to repair the damage had been fulfilled, a decision rejected by victims who plan to appeal. The Foundation for Justice criticized the decision, calling it a de facto exoneration. The fire occurred on March 27, 2023, when migrants set fire to mattresses in protest. Security footage showed guards leaving without helping.
Federal prosecutors say a New York judge should send two of the nation’s most successful luxury real estate brokers and their brother to prison for life for drugging and raping dozens of women over a two-decade stretch. Prosecutors made the recommendation on Wednesday, a day after defense lawyers said 39-year-old twins Oren and Alon Alexander and 40-year-old Tal Alexander should face no more than 15 years behind bars. Judge Valerie E. Caproni is scheduled to sentence the men on Oct. 27. Prosecutors say the brothers, including real estate brokers Oren and Tal Alexander, drugged and raped women since at least 2001. Defense attorneys say they hope to reverse the convictions on appeal.
Two leaders of India’s “Cockroach” youth movement have been sentenced by a local court to five days in jail after climbing barricades to protest in New Delhi. Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were among about a dozen people detained by police Tuesday at Jantar Mantar, a historic protest site. Police say the site is no longer officially designated for protests. Opposition leaders have condemned the arrests, calling them an attack on the right to protest. Demonstrations have intensified over a nationwide revision of voter lists that critics say could disenfranchise millions. India's Election Commission says the revision removes duplicate entries. Protesters have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
FILE - Journalists stand next to an entrance of the Lefortovo prison, in Moscow, Thursday, March 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)
FILE - An entrance of the Lefortovo prison is seen in Moscow, Thursday, March 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
