Case: Jackson v. Whitman

5:83-02031 | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

Filed Date: Aug. 24, 1983

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Case Summary

Prisoners at the Bienville Parish Jail filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against representatives of the parish in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The plaintiffs alleged that their constitutional rights had been violated by inadequacies in the areas of living quarters, hygiene, food, security, medical and dental care, disciplinary procedures, communications, mail and visitation, access to courts, law library, recreation, and religion.On May 24, 1…

Prisoners at the Bienville Parish Jail filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against representatives of the parish in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The plaintiffs alleged that their constitutional rights had been violated by inadequacies in the areas of living quarters, hygiene, food, security, medical and dental care, disciplinary procedures, communications, mail and visitation, access to courts, law library, recreation, and religion.

On May 24, 1985, the parties entered into a consent decree addressing each of the aforementioned issues, but on August 1, 1986, the plaintiffs asked the court to hold the defendants in contempt for failure to comply with the decree. On August 15, 1986, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (Judge Thomas E. Stagg, Jr.) held the defendants in contempt of court for failure to comply with the terms of the consent decree, assessing fines and requiring the defendants to pay the attorneys' fees of the plaintiffs. Jackson v. Whitman, 642 F.Supp. 816 (W.D.La. 1986). We have no further record of the proceedings in this case.

Summary Authors

Kristen Sagar (3/14/2006)

People

Judge(s)

Stagg, Thomas E. Jr. (Louisiana)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Walker, Henry C. IV (Louisiana)

Attorney for Defendant

Blake, John (Louisiana)

Stokes, Douglas L. (Louisiana)

Welsh, Charles (Louisiana)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

5:83-02031

Memorandum Ruling

Aug. 15, 1986

Aug. 15, 1986

Order/Opinion

642 F.Supp. 816

Docket

Last updated March 30, 2024, 3:01 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory:

Louisiana

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: Aug. 24, 1983

Case Ongoing: No reason to think so

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Prisoners at the Bienville Parish Jail

Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown

Filed Pro Se: Unknown

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Granted

Defendants

Bienville Parish (Bienville), County

Facility Type(s):

Government-run

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Due Process

Other Dockets:

Western District of Louisiana 5:83-02031

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff OR Mixed

Relief Granted:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Issues

General/Misc.:

Access to lawyers or judicial system

Bathing and hygiene

Classification / placement

Disciplinary procedures

Education

Food service / nutrition / hydration

Mail

Phone

Religious programs / policies

Sanitation / living conditions

Totality of conditions

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Assault/abuse by non-staff (facilities)

Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)

Crowding (General)

Law library access

Recreation / Exercise

Visiting

Medical/Mental Health Care:

Dental care

Medical care, unspecified