Courtesy of law firm Carlton Fields, the following is a compiled list of lawsuits filed on behalf of inmates for conditions of confinement in light of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Among those featured is Barnes v. Jeffreys, brought on behalf of inmates in Illinois who are required to register as sex offenders and continue to be confined in prison simply because they don’t have an approved release residence (caused by SORRs). The attorneys representing the class are Mark Weinberg and Adele Nicholas.
- Nellson v. Barnhart (D. Colo. Mar. 18, 2020) – national class action filed against prison warden and Federal Bureau of Prisons alleging that the failure to adequately screen, test, and isolate prisoners and staff during the COVID-19 outbreak is unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment, and seeking an injunction requiring adequate medical care.
- Thompson v. Columbia County (D. Or. Mar. 24, 2020) – class action on behalf of inmates in Columbia County Jail seeking injunctive relief for operating a jail without the capacity to treat or prevent COVID-19.
- Savino Hodgson (D. Mass. Mar. 27, 2020) – ICE detainees’ class action seeking release as they are “literally trapped” in the detention center during the COVID-19 pandemic where the facility has allegedly failed to properly address testing, sanitation supplies, protective gear, and medical staffing.
- Valentine v. Collier (S.D. Tex. Mar. 30, 2020) – Texas inmate class action challenging lack of access to protective measures including soap and hand sanitizer during the coronavirus pandemic and failure to take proper measures to prevent the spread through the jail.
- Williams v. Federal Bureau of Prisons (D.D.C. Apr. 2, 2020) – class action on behalf of prisoners at Hope Village halfway house alleging failure of Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide adequate protections to inmates during the COVID-19 crisis, and seeking the release of sufficient prisoners to avoid overcrowding, provision of cleaning products, and adequate screening.
- Money v. Pritzker (N.D. Ill. Apr. 2, 2020) – class action on behalf of prisoners seeking injunctive relief/release of high-risk prisoners to protect the health and safety of inmates, workers, and the broader community.
- Bergamaschi v. Cuomo (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 3, 2020) – class action for prisoner civil rights seeking an order from New York to conduct release hearing for more than a thousand prisoners detained in New York City jails for alleged parole violations in light of the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 and the dangerous public health conditions in these facilities.
- Mays v. Thomas (N.D. Ill. Apr. 3, 2020) – class action on behalf of inmates of the Cook County Jail for failing to separate those exposed to COVID-19 and failing to comply with recommended health and sanitation measures.
- Evenstad Schnell (D. Minn. Apr. 6, 2020) – class action for prisoner civil rights seeking to be considered for early release in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to lessen the spread of the disease in prisons.
- Barnes v. Jeffreys (N.D. Ill. Apr. 5, 2020) – class action on behalf of plaintiff sex offender prisoners seeking release, and alleging that defendant’s failure to comply with mandatory supervised release program is unlawfully exposing prisoners to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Graham v. Allegheny County (W.D. Pa. Apr. 7, 2020) – ACLU class action against jail seeking injunctive relief/release of high-risk prisoners.
- Carranza v. Reams (D. Colo. Apr. 7, 2020) – class action on behalf of detainees at high risk of suffering complications from COVID-19.
- Wilson v. Williams (N.D. Ohio Apr. 13, 2020) – class action seeking the release of “medically vulnerable” detainees at high risk of suffering complications from COVID-19, and of sufficient number of prisoners to permit adequate social distancing.
- Cameron v. Bouchard (E.D. Mich. Apr. 17, 2020) – class action seeking immediate release of medically vulnerable subclass of inmates currently incarcerated, and release of any future inmates in same subclass, in the Oakland County Jail due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide adequate safeguards for the health and safety of remaining inmates.
- Rivas v. Jennings (N.D. Cal. Apr. 20, 2020) – civil rights class action alleging defendants failed to take necessary steps to protect plaintiffs from COVID-19 while detained at the Yuba County Jail and Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility and requesting release of enough detainees to ensure social distancing requirements are being met.
- McPherson v. Lamont (D. Conn. Apr. 20, 2020) – class action on behalf of at-risk inmates seeking release from correctional facility or providing plaintiffs with appropriate social distancing and protective equipment.
- Rodriguez v. Archambeault (S.D. Cal. Apr. 21, 2020) – class action on behalf of inmates at the Otay Mesa Detention Center challenging ICE’s continued detention of plaintiffs under alleged conditions making social distancing impossible.
The post Lawsuits challenging continued confinement amid Covid-19 continue to be filed. appeared first on Florida Action Committee.
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