Filed Date: April 26, 2006
Closed Date: March 15, 2012
Clearinghouse coding complete
On April 26, 2006, parents of a juvenile son incarcerated in the San Joaquin Juvenile Hall filed a complaint in the San Joaquin County, California, Superior Court, suing the county's chief probation officer and seeking to enjoin expenditure of public funds for alleged illegal conduct at the juvenile hall. Private counsel and the Prison Law Office represented the plaintiff. Both were also involved as plaintiffs' counsel in similar California cases in this database, Farrell v. Harper (JI-CA-13), Porter v. Speirs (JI-CA-15), and Waters v. Woodford (JI-CA-16).
The complaint set out numerous categories in which the hall, as operated, allegedly failed to meet state statutory standards, including inadequate physical safety (e.g., excessive staff use of force and physical restraints, staff-promoted fights, abuse of vulnerable juveniles, homemade weapons, and gangs), living conditions far from statutorily-mandated "homelike conditions" (e.g., poor meals, overcrowding, uncomfortable temperatures, broken plumbing, gang graffiti, and filth), administrative segregation ("ad seg") deficiencies (e.g., lockdown-type conditions, absence of rehabilitative programs or educational opportunities, failure to provide required Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), limited clothing, excessive isolation, and due process violations), inadequate medical and mental health care, inadequate provision of rehabilitative or educational programs for non-ad seg wards, and deficient grievance procedures exacerbated by staff misconduct. Citing numerous provisions of the state's constitution and statutes, the plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief, attorneys' fees and costs, and for the court to retain jurisdiction over the case until it found sufficient compliance by the defendant with remedial orders plaintiff sought.
The defendant filed a demurrer to the complaint and sought to have the court (Judge Bobby W. McNatt) strike portions of the pleading. This, however, was denied. After discovery, the parties agreed to a set of four experts who would investigate the hall to determine whether or not the plaintiffs' allegations of substandard conditions were true.
On June 18, 2008, the parties submitted a consent decree to the court. The agreement spanned a wide range of the issues contained in the initial complaint. As a result, the defendant agreed to more robust training of its staff; stronger enforcement of policies pertaining to adequate treatment of juveniles; and improvements in its facilities and services (e.g., food, medical, educational). Moreover, the defendant ended its administrative segregation program but kept less isolating alternative, the behavior management unit. The defendant further agreed to create a grievance procedure for the juveniles to voice concerns regarding their conditions. Through the consent decree, however, the defendant admitted no fault, and the parties disagreed as to whether some of the improvements at the hall occurred prior to or after the plaintiffs' investigation of the hall. Finally, the parties agreed to permit the plaintiffs to submit document requests and be notified of any policy changes at the hall for a two year period.
The Clearinghouse has been unable to obtain further information about the interim period. The parties stipulated to dismiss the entire action and to dissolve the consent decree on March 7, 2012.
Summary Authors
Mike Fagan (5/16/2008)
Matthew Feng (9/4/2021)
Holland, Lesley D. (California)
Chavez, Mark A. (California)
Kahn, Michael D. (California)
Keith, Traci M. (California)
Gutierrez, Gilberto (California)
Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:48 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: California
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: April 26, 2006
Closing Date: March 15, 2012
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Parents seeking to enjoin expenditure of funds to promulgate, administer, and enforce illegal policies, practices, and procedures in the San Joaquin County Juvenile Hall.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
San Joaquin County (San Joaquin), County
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Content of Injunction:
Implement complaint/dispute resolution process
Order Duration: 2008 - 2012
Issues
General/Misc.:
Food service / nutrition / hydration
Sanitation / living conditions
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Assault/abuse by non-staff (facilities)
Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)
Suicide prevention (facilities)
Medical/Mental Health Care:
Policing: