Filed Date: Jan. 15, 2009
Closed Date: Feb. 26, 2009
Clearinghouse coding complete
In October 2006, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, acting pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act ("CRIPA"), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq., commenced an investigation into the conditions of confinement at the King County Correctional Facility ("KCCF"). During the course of this investigation, the DOJ conducted on-site inspections of the jail, held interviews with staff and prisoners, and reviewed numerous documents (including jail policies and procedures, incident reports, investigative reports, prisoner grievances, and staff personnel files).
Upon completing its investigation, the DOJ issued a November 13, 2007 findings letter concluding that certain conditions at the jail violated the constitutional rights of prisoners. In particular, the DOJ found that prisoners were not adequately protected from harm in that they were at risk of physical attacks from inmates, the exercise of excessive force by staff, exposure to custodial sexual misconduct, and suicide. The DOJ also concluded that prisoners did not receive adequate medical care. In addition to listing the constitutional inadequacies, the findings letter also outlined numerous remedial measures which it suggested ought to be implemented at the jail in order to remedy these inadequacies.
On January 14, 2009, the United States filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington under CRIPA, 42 U.S.C. § 1997, against King County to enjoin the County from depriving prisoners in KCCF of their Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The United States argued that the County failed to protect prisoners at KCCF from serious physical harm, custodial sexual misconduct, and self inflicted harm, and failed to provide adequate medical care.
On February 26, 2009, Judge Richard A. Jones issued an order granting the parties' joint motion for conditional dismissal, with two conditions. First, King County was ordered to comply with the terms agreed to by the parties in a memorandum of agreement. Second, the United States was permitted, for three years, to seek relief if King County failed to comply with the stipulated terms.
Summary Authors
Dan Dalton (11/30/2007)
Nate West (10/16/2014)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/36620186/parties/united-states-v-king-county-washington/
Becker, Grace Chung (District of Columbia)
Brown Cutlar, Shanetta Y. (District of Columbia)
Comisac, Rena J. (District of Columbia)
Delaney, Joshua (District of Columbia)
Gerberding, John M. (Washington)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/36620186/united-states-v-king-county-washington/
Last updated April 8, 2024, 3:19 a.m.
State / Territory: Washington
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Jan. 15, 2009
Closing Date: Feb. 26, 2009
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
United States Department of Justice
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Order Duration: 2009 - None
Issues
General/Misc.:
Sanitation / living conditions
Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Assault/abuse by non-staff (facilities)
Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)
Sexual abuse by residents/inmates
Sex w/ staff; sexual harassment by staff
Suicide prevention (facilities)
Medical/Mental Health Care: