Filed Date: Oct. 23, 1986
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On May 28, 1985, the U.S. Department of Justice [DOJ] notified the Governor of the Virgin Islands that it was commencing an investigation of alleged unconstitutional conditions of confinement at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1997. The DOJ issued a findings letter on January 23, 1986, advising that it had reasonable cause to believe that inmates confined to the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility were being deprived of their constitutional rights.
On October 23, 1986, the DOJ filed suit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1997 in the United States District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands, alleging unconstitutional conditions of confinement at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility. The parties settled the case shortly thereafter and a formal Consent Decree was approved by the District Court (Judge O'Brien) on December 1, 1986. The Decree called for various reforms to Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility in the areas of fire safety, security, sanitation and medical care.
Implementation of the specified reforms called for in the Consent Decree occurred for years. The DOJ employed a penology expert, John Dahm, to monitor compliance and to assist in development of a correction plan. Several enforcement and contempt motions filed by the DOJ followed over the years.
According to the docket, a Show Cause Hearing was held on February 8 - 10, 2006 before Magistrate Judge Cannon. On April 18, 2006, Judge Cannon granted the DOJ's motion to find defendant in contempt and appointed a Special Master.
On May 15, 2007, the Court again found the defendants in contempt. Throughout the next few years the parties engaged in numerous evidentiary disputes and, on September 12, 2011, the case was reassigned to Judge Wilma A. Lewis. On August 31, 2012, the parties filed a joint motion for settlement that prescribed prospective relief to resolve any remaining compliance issues within the correctional facility. On May 14, 2013, Judge Lewis granted the joint motion and adopted the settlement agreement as the court's order. The parties later agreed to Kenneth A. Ray as the monitor for the facility's remaining reforms. On December 30, 2014, the court held the defendants in contempt for failure to pay the Monitor's monthly fees as required by the court's order from June 6, 2014. As of June 14, 2021, the case is still ongoing and the monitor continues to file reports with the court.
Summary Authors
Dan Dalton (2/20/2007)
Alex Wharton (12/3/2014)
Elizabeth Heise (11/11/2018)
Sean Drohan (6/17/2021)
For PACER's information on parties and their attrorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5083102/parties/united-states-v-territory-of-the-virgin-islands/
Cannon, George W. Jr. (Virgin Islands)
Kelleher, Robert Joseph (California)
Lenahan, John E. (Virgin Islands)
Lewis, Wilma A. (District of Columbia)
O'Brien, David V. (Virgin Islands)
Resnick, Jeffrey L. (Virgin Islands)
Austin, Roy L. (District of Columbia)
Barrick, Andrew J. (District of Columbia)
Batenga, Ernest F. (Virgin Islands)
Branch, Lashanda D. (District of Columbia)
Cannon, George W. Jr. (Virgin Islands)
Kelleher, Robert Joseph (California)
Lenahan, John E. (Virgin Islands)
Lewis, Wilma A. (District of Columbia)
O'Brien, David V. (Virgin Islands)
Resnick, Jeffrey L. (Virgin Islands)
Austin, Roy L. (District of Columbia)
Barrick, Andrew J. (District of Columbia)
Batenga, Ernest F. (Virgin Islands)
Branch, Lashanda D. (District of Columbia)
Brett, Sharon (District of Columbia)
Chirunga , Lashanda Branch (District of Columbia)
Coon, Laura (District of Columbia)
Diehm, James W. (Virgin Islands)
Fidler, Gayle D. (District of Columbia)
Gunston, Emily A. (District of Columbia)
Gupta, Vanita (District of Columbia)
Halpern, Terry M. (Virgin Islands)
Hewlett, Joycelyn (Virgin Islands)
Holder, Eric H. Jr. (District of Columbia)
Hucek, Kristin (District of Columbia)
Kappelhoff, Mark (District of Columbia)
Lareau, Alyssa Connell (District of Columbia)
Lomio, Rita Katherine (District of Columbia)
Mabe, Hugh P. III (Virgin Islands)
Meese, Edwin III (District of Columbia)
Miller, V. Colleen (District of Columbia)
Moossy, Robert J. (District of Columbia)
Moran, Molly J. (District of Columbia)
Myrthil, Marlysha (District of Columbia)
Oliver, Jim U. Jr. (District of Columbia)
Payne, Timothy R. (District of Columbia)
Peabody, Arthur E. Jr. (District of Columbia)
Perez, Thomas E. (District of Columbia)
Preston, Judith (Judy) C. (District of Columbia)
Reynolds, William Bradford (District of Columbia)
Rifkin, Marjorie Lynn (District of Columbia)
Sharpe, Ronald W. (Virgin Islands)
Smith, Jonathan Mark (District of Columbia)
Turner, James P. (District of Columbia)
Volek, Jude (District of Columbia)
Ballentine, Rosalie S. (Virgin Islands)
Chinnery, Aquannette Y. (Virgin Islands)
D'Andrade, Shari N. (Virgin Islands)
de Castro, Godfrey R. (Virgin Islands)
DiRuzzo, Joseph A. III (Florida)
Frazer, Vincent (Virgin Islands)
Grant, Darlene (Virgin Islands)
James, Raymond T. (Virgin Islands)
Mercer, Leroy (Virgin Islands)
Moore, Treston E. (Virgin Islands)
Oswald, Nathan T. (Ohio)
Robertson, Kenrick E. (Virgin Islands)
Schrader, Richard Jr. (Virgin Islands)
Thomas-Jacobs, Carol (Virgin Islands)
Tyson-Floyd, Angela (Virgin Islands)
Walinski, Richard S. (Ohio)
Walker, Claude Earl (Virgin Islands)
Dudley, Richard Jr. (New York)
Ray, Kenneth A. (Kentucky)
Romero, Manual D. (New Mexico)
Shansky, Ronald M.D., S.C. (Illinois)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5083102/united-states-v-territory-of-the-virgin-islands/
Last updated Feb. 4, 2023, 3:16 a.m.
State / Territory: Virgin Islands
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Oct. 23, 1986
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
United States Department of Justice.
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.
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
Order Duration: 1986 - None
Issues
General:
Informed consent/involuntary medication
Sanitation / living conditions
Medical/Mental Health:
Type of Facility: