Christopher Zoukis, JD | May 5, 2025 | Prison Life
Prisoner Organ Transplants, Donations Create Controversy
Prison officials in several states are mulling over two sides of the same coin with respect to organ transplants for prisoners: first, the eligibility and cost of such medical procedures, and second, whether prisoners should be allowed to donate their organs. Prisoners in Need of Organ Transplants In Rhode Island, a liver transplant performed on […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | January 13, 2025 | Prison Life
Travel Within the Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons houses approximately 188,000 inmates in over 200 federal prisons, prison camps, and private contract prisons. Tens of thousands more are housed in federal custody in jails and detention centers not directly operated by the federal prison system. Federal prisoners are continually transported from one federal prison, detention center, or country jail to […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | January 12, 2025 | Prison Life
Sex Offenders in the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Prison can be a dangerous place, even in the best of circumstances. For inmates convicted of sex offenses, an ever-growing population within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, unique challenges and pitfalls exist beyond those experienced by the prison population as a whole. Introduction: Convict Stratification Prison is a society unto itself. Inside the walls, as […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | July 13, 2024 | Prison Life
MP3 Players in the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal prison inmates are now allowed to utilize an MP3 player service. This service operated through all Federal Bureau of Prisons’ institutional commissaries and the use of the Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS), allows inmates to purchase 8 gigabyte MP3 players for $69 and individual songs for between $0.85 and $1.55 each. This […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | July 12, 2024 | Prison Life
Some GPS Devices Capable of Audio Recording
Civil libertarians and prisoner advocacy groups have expressed shock and outrage at the discovery that some Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices, used to monitor the movement and whereabouts of many pre-trial defendants, parolees, sex offenders, and other persons, function like cell phones and are capable of recording conversations without the knowledge or consent of […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | July 12, 2024 | Prison Life
Life in Prison: Men Who Abuse Small Animals
Few things in this world anger me more than grown men who attack or torture small animals and think it’s acceptable. Sadly, I’m often reminded of how much I hate this occurrence due to the apparently large population of animal abusers who reside at FCI Petersburg, the medium security federal prison in Petersburg, Virginia, where I am […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | July 12, 2024 | Prison Life
Prison Consultants: Preparing Clients for Incarceration
Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of American society is our vast network of prison systems. Crime must be hindered, criminals must pay for their crimes, and prison is where we must confine them. But what if the person spending time in the slammer is not necessarily a criminal, but an erring citizen? What if the […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | July 10, 2024 | Prison Life
What Federal Inmates Should Do When Charged With Disciplinary Infractions
Disciplinary infractions are a fact of life for inmates incarcerated within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Simply put, those incarcerated in federal prison will likely have to defend against incident reports at some point during their incarceration. Learning how to defend against disciplinary action is not something that should be done after an incident report […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | July 10, 2024 | Prison Life
Federal Inmates Allowed To Utilize MP3 Player Service
In an innovative move by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), federal inmates are now allowed to purchase MP3 players from their institution’s commissary and individual MP3 files through their housing unit’s Trust Fund Limited Inmate Communication System (TRULINCS) computers. This system is offered via a federal contract with Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) and has […]
Christopher Zoukis, JD | July 9, 2024 | Prison Life
Prison Disciplinary Hearings: Lack of Notice, a Valuable Defense
The vast majority of inmates incarcerated within the Federal Bureau of Prisons will one day face a disciplinary proceeding. These proceedings could be the result of a serious allegation of misconduct (e.g., fighting or brewing alcohol) or a less serious allegation (e.g., feeding the birds, or not making a bed). Regardless of what the alleged […]