Case: Inmates of D.C. Jail v. Jackson

1:75-cv-01668 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: Oct. 7, 1975

Closed Date: 2003

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Case Summary

On October 7, 1975, post-trial detainees at the District of Columbia jail brought a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. §1983 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that various conditions at the jail were unconstitutional. The plaintiff class was represented by the National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. On May 24, 1976, the District Court (Judge William Benson Bryant) granted the plaintiffs' motion for partial summary judgment by holding that the conditions and practices at the jail constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Inmates, D.C. Jail v. Jackson, 416 F.Supp. 119 (D.D.C. 1976). The jail was found to be overcrowded, without proper care for inmates with psychiatric problems, lacking in recreation opportunities, having overly restrictive visitation rights along with generally unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Judge Bryant also ordered the defendant jail officials to initiate action to correct these violations. Judge Bryant extended many of the District Court's findings from Campbell v. McGruder (JC-DC-001) which involved unconstitutional jail conditions for pre-trial detainees. The cases were, in fact, consolidated for some time, and therefore many of the relevant documents appear in both case files.

Judge Bryant issued subsequent orders in July and August 1985, and the parties reached a stipulated agreement on August 22, 1985 to reduce the jail population. On March 11, 1987, Judge Bryant held the jail officials in civil contempt for violating provisions in those orders regarding Halfway House capacity, inmate classification and reductions in minimum sentences. Inmates of D.C. Jail v. Jackson, No. 1462-71, 1987 WL 8724 (D.D.C. Mar. 11, 1987). Judge Bryant imposed fines on the jail officials and ordered them to file bi-weekly compliance reports with the Court.

The District continued to find a pattern of constitutional violations and repeatedly issued orders to bring conditions at the D.C. jail into compliance. The D.C. jail was so recalcitrant in complying with the court-ordered reforms that Judge Bryant was prompted to state that the jail's lack of compliance bordered on bad faith. Transcript, Nov. 1, 1994 Hearing, Inmates of the D.C. Jail v. Jackson (No. 75-1668).

The docket for the case is available on PACER for all entries in the case after May 12, 1989. The docket mentions a Special Master, Grace Lopes, who was assigned to monitor the implementation of the District Court's orders. On November 6, 1997, Karen Schneider replaced Grace Lopes as the Special Master assigned to the case.

After passage of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), Judge Bryant awarded attorneys' fees at market rates to attorneys monitoring compliance with the District Court's orders, finding the PLRA inapplicable. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Judge David Bryan Sentelle) reversed by holding that the PLRA's cap on attorney fee awards is applicable to all work performed after its effective date. Inmates of D.C. Jail v. Jackson, 158 F.3d 1357 (D.C. Cir. 1998). Judge Patricia McGowan Wald dissented by arguing that the PLRA's limitations on attorneys' fees was being applied retroactively because the case began before passage of the PLRA. On June 24, 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari. Inmates of D.C. Jail v. Edwards, 527 U.S. 1035 (1999).

On June 13, 2002, Judge Bryant stayed the population limitation imposed by court order. The case was dismissed on March 21, 2003, although some litigation continued after that date regarding attorneys' fees.


1:75-cv-01668	Docket (PACER) Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	March 9, 2004	March 9, 2004 Docket
1:75-cv-01668	Amended Complaint Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	Dec. 16, 1975	Dec. 16, 1975 Complaint
1:75-cv-01668	Order Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	Dec. 18, 1975	Dec. 18, 1975 Order/Opinion
1:75-cv-01668	Memorandum and Order Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	May 24, 1976	May 24, 1976 Order/Opinion 416 F.Supp. 119
1:75-cv-01668	Memorandum and Order Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	May 24, 1976	May 24, 1976 Order/Opinion
1:75-cv-01668 1:71-01462	Consent Order Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	Feb. 3, 1984	Feb. 3, 1984 Order/Opinion
1:75-cv-01668 1:71-01462	Memorandum and Order Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	July 15, 1985	July 15, 1985 Order/Opinion
1:75-cv-01668 1:71-01462	Stipulation of the Parties to Reduce the Population at the D.C. Jail Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	Aug. 22, 1985	Aug. 22, 1985 Order/Opinion
1:75-cv-01668 1:71-01462	Memorandum in Support of Joint Motion to Amend the Stipulation and Order of August 22, 1985 Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	Aug. 22, 1985	Aug. 22, 1985 Pleading / Motion / Brief
1:71-01462	Order Inmates D.C. Jail v. Jackson	March 11, 1987	March 11, 1987 Order/Opinion 1987 WL 8724

ECF Number	Date	Description	Link
	May 12, 1989	ALL DOCKET ENTRIES PRIOR TO 5/12/89 WILL BE FOUND ON THE PAPER DOCKET (cjp) (Entered: 05/12/1989)	PACER
	Feb. 28, 1990	MOTION HEARING before Judge William B. Bryant : motion of defendants to modify Court order setting population limits at DC Jail heard, argument and taken under advisement (cjp) (Entered: 03/01/1990)	PACER
2	April 11, 1990	ANSWER by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON to interrogatories (cjp) (Entered: 04/12/1990)	PACER
3	April 11, 1990	RESPONSE by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON to request for production of documents; attachments (cjp) (Entered: 04/12/1990)	PACER
4	Aug. 16, 1990	ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : granting plaintiffs' oral motion for expedited discovery (N) (cjp) (Entered: 08/16/1990)	PACER
5	Aug. 16, 1990	ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : granting motion of plaintiff's for inspection (N) (cjp) (Entered: 08/16/1990)	PACER
6	Sept. 13, 1990	NOTICE OF FILING by plaintiff INMATES DC JAIL of address change RE: Edward I. Koren, National Prison Project, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20009 (202) 331-0500 (cjp) (Entered: 09/14/1990)	PACER
7	Sept. 26, 1990	ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : directing defendants to submit certain report to the Court by 10/12/90 ; setting hearing for 10:00 10/17/90; directing defendants to produce certain documents by 10/12/90 (N) (cjp) (Entered: 10/01/1990)	PACER
8	Oct. 16, 1990	MOTION by plaintiff INMATES DC JAIL for order regarding medical services ; exhibits (5) (cjp) (Entered: 10/18/1990)	PACER
9	Oct. 30, 1990	STATUS REPORT (copy) by plaintiff INMATES DC JAIL (cjp) Modified on 10/31/1990 (Entered: 10/31/1990)	PACER
10	Nov. 1, 1990	MOTION by plaintiff INMATES DC JAIL to consolidate cases with 1462-71 (cjp) (Entered: 11/05/1990)	PACER
11	Oct. 10, 1991	CONSENT ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : Ordered that DC shall pay the National Prison Project the sum of Thirty one Thousand eight hundred dollars ($31,800.00); and that payment shall be in full settlement of any claims by plaintiffs for attorneys' fees or costs, exclusive of expert fees, that may be asserted in this matter for the time period from 11/6/86 through 9/13/91 (N) (ks) (Entered: 10/22/1991)	PACER
12	May 8, 1992	INTERROGATORIES and request to produce documents filed by plaintiffs INMATES DC JAIL to defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON regarding defendants' compliance with stipulation of 8/22/85 (ajr) (Entered: 05/11/1992)	PACER
13	July 20, 1992	MOTION filed by plaintiff(s) INMATES DC JAIL to compel defendant's response to discovery ; Exhibits (6) (ks) (Entered: 07/21/1992)	PACER
14	Aug. 5, 1992	RESPONSE by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON in opposition to motion to compel defendant's response to discovery [13-1] by INMATES DC JAIL (ajr) (Entered: 08/06/1992)	PACER
15	Aug. 6, 1992	REPLY by plaintiffs INMATES DC JAIL to response to motion to compel defendant's response to discovery [13-1] by INMATES DC JAIL. Exhibits (3) (ajr) (Entered: 08/07/1992)	PACER
16	Feb. 25, 1993	MOTION filed by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON to extend time to 4/1/93 to respond to plaintiffs' motion for an order to show cause why defendants should not be held in contempt of court (filed in CA 71-1462) (ajr) (Entered: 02/26/1993)	PACER
	March 2, 1993	STATUS HEARING before Judge William B. Bryant : Reporter: C. Gansle (lin) (Entered: 03/02/1993)	PACER
17	March 5, 1993	ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : that defendants shall file their response to plaintiffs' motion for order to show cause and Report to the Court due 4/1/93; Original filed in CA 71-1462 (N) (ks) (Entered: 03/08/1993)	PACER
	April 6, 1993	MOTION HEARING before Judge William B. Bryant begun and continued to 4/8/93 at 10:00 a.m. Reporter: W. McAllister (lin) (Entered: 04/06/1993)	PACER
	April 8, 1993	MOTION HEARING before Judge William B. Bryant; motion of plaintiffs for appointment of Special Master heard and granted; parties to submit proposed orders by 4/13/93 at 3:00 Reporter: W. McAllister (lin) (Entered: 04/08/1993)	PACER
	April 13, 1993	STATUS HEARING before Judge William B. Bryant : Reporter: C. Gansle (lin) (Entered: 04/14/1993)	PACER
18	May 14, 1993	CONSENT AGREEMENT by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON, plaintiff INMATES DC JAIL; parties agree to extend the timeframe for negotiations regarding the enhanced reporting format until 7/27/93 to enable counsel an opportunity to review the reports, or by 7/27/93 parties to submit proposed reporting forms to the Court, APPROVED (fiat) JUDGE WILLIAM B. BRYANT (N) (ks) (Entered: 05/19/1993)	PACER
19	Aug. 5, 1993	STIPULATEDCONSENT AGREEMENT by Judge William B. Bryant : (original filed in CA 71-1462) (N) (ks) (Entered: 08/05/1993)	PACER
20	Aug. 16, 1993	MOTION filed by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON for adoption of consent Order regarding attorneys' fees (ks) (Entered: 08/17/1993)	PACER
21	Aug. 27, 1993	ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : that the DC shall pay DC Prisoners' Legal Services Project, inc. the sum of seventy five thousand ($75,000.00) in full settlement of fees and costs incurred through 4/30/93, asscoiated with bringing the contempt motion filed on or about 2/17/93 and with monitoring compliance with the Court's Orders entered in this civil action (N) (ks) (Entered: 08/30/1993)	PACER
22	Oct. 12, 1993	MOTION filed by Special Master for compensation , Exhibit (6) (lpp) (Entered: 10/13/1993)	PACER
23	Oct. 25, 1993	ORDER by Judge June L. Green: The Clerk of the Court shall pay Grace M. Lopes the sum of $16,943.16 for her services and expenses and Dr. Downer's services and expenses; this payment shall be drawn from the $20,000.00 fund account; the District of Columbia shall pay $16,943.16 to the Clerk of the Court in order to replenish the $20,000.00 fund account by 10/22/93; the Clerk of the Court shall pay Grace M. Lopes the sum of $35,767.75 for the services and expenses of Ms. Lee Ware Coykendall, Mr. Timothy Roche, Dr. Robert L. Cohen and Dr. Richard Belitshy; this payment shall be drawn from the Crestar Savings Account established by previous orders of this Court; the District of Columbia shall pay $35,767.75 to the Clerk of the Court in order to replenish the Crestar Savings Account by the 10/22/93 (N) (lpp) (Entered: 10/25/1993)	PACER
24	Nov. 8, 1993	MOTION filed Special Master Grace M. Lopes for Compensation , Exhibits (2) (lpp) Modified on 11/10/1993 (Entered: 11/09/1993)	PACER
25	Nov. 9, 1993	ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : granting motion for compensation [24-1]; directing Clerk of Court to pay Grace M. Lopes the sum of $18,687.90 from the $20,000.00 fund account, established by previous orders, for services and expenses; directing D.C. to pay $18,687.90 to Clerk of Court by 11/19/93; directing Clerk of Court to pay Grace M. Lopes the sum of $13,502.97 from the Crestar Savings Account, established by previous orders, for services and expenses of Ms. Coykendall and Mr. Roche; directing D.C. to pay $13,502.97 to Clerk of Court by 11/19/93 (N) (ab) (Entered: 11/10/1993)	PACER
27	Nov. 9, 1993	ORDER granting motion of plaintiff for interim relief by Judge William B. Bryant : (N) (lin) (Entered: 11/19/1993)	PACER
26	Nov. 17, 1993	ORDER granting motion of Special Officer for extension of time to file report to 12/23/93 by Judge William B. Bryant : (N) (lin) (Entered: 11/19/1993)	PACER
28	Nov. 18, 1993	MOTION filed by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON to amend order [27-1] (lin) (Entered: 11/19/1993)	PACER
	Nov. 18, 1993	HEARING before Judge William B. Bryant; parties to report to Court within 24 hours re: completion of discovery : Reporter: V. Marshall (lin) (Entered: 11/19/1993)	PACER
29	Nov. 23, 1993	MOTION filed by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON to extend time to 12/3/93 for the defendant to transfer the three remaining inmates identified by Dr. Edwards as in need of hospital care. (bm) (Entered: 11/24/1993)	PACER
30	Dec. 9, 1993	NOTICE OF APPEAL by defendant DELBERT C. JACKSON from order [25-1] , entered on: 11/10/93; Government-No Fee; Copies mailed to Edward I. Koren, Alvin J. Bronstein and Charles Reischel (ks) (Entered: 12/15/1993)	PACER
31	Dec. 15, 1993	MOTION filed by Special Officer for compensation (pm) (Entered: 12/17/1993)	PACER
32	Dec. 15, 1993	ORDER by Judge William B. Bryant : granting motion by Special Officer for compensation [31-1], directing that the Clerk of Court pay Grace Lopen $15,491.21 for services and expenses and DC shall pay $15,491.21 to Clerk of Court to replensih the fund account. The Clerk of Court shall pay Grace Lopez $12,941.00 for services and expensed of Ms. Coykendal, Ms Schneider, Dr. Cohen, Dr. Downer and Mr. Roche and DC shall pay $12,941.00 to the Clerk of Court to replenish the Crestar Savings Account by 12/31/93. (N) (pm) (Entered: 12/17/1993)	PACER
	Dec. 15, 1993	TRANSMITTED PRELIMINARY RECORD on appeal [30-1] by DELBERT C. JACKSON to U.S. Court of Appeals (ks) (Entered: 12/15/1993)	PACER
33	Dec. 16, 1993	CONSENT by defendant, plaintiff(s) to file redacted copies of certain documents filed as part of 217th Bi-weekly report to court; APPROVED (lin) (Entered: 12/20/1993)	PACER

Case: Inmates of D.C. Jail v. Jackson

1:75-cv-01668 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

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