Corrections Prisons Jails
Santa Clara County Jail Over-Detention Settlement
The County of Santa Clara is spending $2.375 million to settle a class action alleging people were held too long at the Santa Clara County Jail. The complaint alleged that people were held for more than twelve hours after the district attorney declined to prosecute them, violating the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. Read more
Missouri Department of Corrections Officers Pre- and Post-Shift Work Settlement
The Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) is paying just short of $50 million to settle an employment class action alleging it required workers in corrections officers I and II positions to do pre- and post-shift work without pay. The complaint alleged MDOC paid neither straight time nor overtime for this work. This settlement applies to Read more
City of Normandy, Missouri Arrest and Incarceration Settlement
The City of Normandy, Missouri is settling a class action alleging it violated certain persons’ constitutional rights by arresting and incarcerating them at the City of Normandy Police Department, the City of St. Ann Jail, or the St. Louis County Jail. The complaint alleged the persons were arrested and incarcerated because they could not afford Read more
New Jersey Department of Corrections and Department of Education Settlement
This settlement resolves a class action filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey against the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJ DOC) and Department of Education (NJ DOE). The complaint alleged that they failed to provide a free, appropriate, public education to students with disabilities in adult prisons, in violation of the Read more
Marion County Over-Detention Settlement
The City of Indianapolis and the Marion County Sheriff are settling a class action alleging that they over-detained individuals by twelve hours or more after a court ordered their release or they posted bond or bail, with nothing else to justify their continued detentions. More than 15,000 such detentions have been identified, with a total Read more
Shelby County, Tennessee Jail Longer Detentions Settlement
Shelby County, Tennessee is settling a class action alleging it detained certain people for longer than permitted by law. The complaint alleged that the excessive detentions were due to a computer system installed in November 2016 and violated state and federal laws. Read more
Chester, PA Cell Block Strip Search Settlement
The City of Chester, Pennsylvania is paying individuals who were illegally strip searched when they were admitted to the city’s cell block. The complaint alleges that these illegal searches were done on individuals who were charged only with summary offenses (like disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, traffic infractions, or civil commitments) or misdemeanors that did not Read more
Lynwood Jail Strip Searches Settlement
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is giving up $53 million to settle a class action about strip searches performed at Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California. The complaint alleged that the way the strip searches were performed was unconstitutional. Read more
New York City Corrections Visitor Invasive Search Settlement
The New York City Department of Corrections (DOC) is settling a class action lawsuit, with $12.5 million for payouts and $5.4 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. The complaint alleged that the DOC improperly subjected visitors who came to see inmates to invasive searches. An invasive search is one that resulted in more than accidental Read more
