Filed Date: Oct. 14, 1965
Closed Date: Sept. 6, 1966
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In approximately 1966, an inmate at the California Correctional Training Facility at Soledad filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the California Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiff, who initially brought the proceeding on his own behalf and then was represented by court-appointed private counsel, asked the court for injunctive and monetary relief, alleging that he was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of his Eighth Amendment rights. Specifically, the plaintiff claimed that his confinement for twelve days in a "strip cell," one which was approximately six by eight feet in size, had no furnishings except a toilet, no interior source of light, was not cleaned regularly, and had no means for the prisoner to clean himself, violated his Eighth Amendment rights.
After a hearing, the court (Judge George B. Harris) issued an opinion on September 6, 1966, enjoining the defendants from denying inmates the basic elements necessary to maintain a level of cleanliness in accord with civilized standards. Jordan v. Fitzharris, 257 F. Supp. 674 (N.D. Cal. 1966). The court denied the plaintiff's request for money damages. It also noted that this case represented one of the first such actions in the U.S. District courts.
Summary Authors
Laura Uberti (6/11/2006)
Harris, George Bernard (California)
Cohler, Charles B. (California)
Granberg, Derald E. (California)
Granucci, Robert R. (California)
Crosby, Kristen Wenstrup (Illinois)
Last updated April 16, 2024, 3:02 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: California
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Oct. 14, 1965
Closing Date: Sept. 6, 1966
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Prisoner claiming to have been unconstitutionally subjected to cruel and unusual punishment
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
California Department of Corrections (Soledad), State
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1966 - None
Issues
General/Misc.:
Sanitation / living conditions
Affected Sex/Gender(s):
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions: