Case: Johnson v. Lark

4:71-00114 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

Filed Date: Feb. 23, 1971

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

Incarcerated people at the St. Louis City Jail in Missouri filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against representatives of the city in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The plaintiffs, represented by the Legal Aid Society, alleged that their civil rights had been violated by inadequacies at the jail, including overcrowding, sanitation and living conditions, discipline and procedures for solitary confinement, rules for mail and visitation, inadequate me…

Incarcerated people at the St. Louis City Jail in Missouri filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against representatives of the city in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The plaintiffs, represented by the Legal Aid Society, alleged that their civil rights had been violated by inadequacies at the jail, including overcrowding, sanitation and living conditions, discipline and procedures for solitary confinement, rules for mail and visitation, inadequate medical care, food, corporal punishment of prisoners, and failure to return personal property.

On July 13, 1973, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (Judge William Webster) granted injunctive relief to the prisoners, holding that use of solitary confinement did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, but that confinement of three men in tiny two-man cells, the absence of recreational facilities, low quality of food services, inadequate ventilation, excessive corporal punishment of prisoners, and subjecting prisoners to disciplinary confinement without any grievance procedures violated the prisoners' constitutional rights. Johnson v. Lark, 365 F.Supp. 289 (E.D.Mis. 1973).

Summary Authors

Kristen Sagar (3/14/2006)

People

Judge(s)
Attorney for Plaintiff

Fishman, Phillip F. (Missouri)

Heiser, Walter (Missouri)

Attorney for Defendant

FitzGibbon, John J. (Missouri)

Funsch, Richard O. (Missouri)

Koehr, Jack L. (Missouri)

Judge(s)

Webster, John Stanley (Washington)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Fishman, Phillip F. (Missouri)

Heiser, Walter (Missouri)

Attorney for Defendant

FitzGibbon, John J. (Missouri)

Funsch, Richard O. (Missouri)

Koehr, Jack L. (Missouri)

show all people

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

4:71-00114

Reported Opinion

July 13, 1973

July 13, 1973

Order/Opinion

365 F.Supp. 365

Docket

Last updated April 15, 2024, 3:21 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Missouri

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: Feb. 23, 1971

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

all federal prisoners in the St. Louis City Jail

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: Unknown

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Granted

Defendants

St. Louis City Jail (St. Louis city), County

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Due Process

Due Process: Procedural Due Process

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Order Duration: 1973 - None

Issues

General:

Classification / placement

Conditions of confinement

Disciplinary procedures

Education

Food service / nutrition / hydration

Loss or damage to property

Mail

Personal injury

Recreation / Exercise

Sanitation / living conditions

Totality of conditions

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Disciplinary segregation

Visiting

Crowding / caseload

Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)

Assault/abuse by non-staff (facilities)

Medical/Mental Health:

Medical care, general

Type of Facility:

Government-run