Special Collection: California Jail Population Caps

Orange county jail inmate dorm

This collection consists of jail conditions cases in California that all at some point included an order that functioned as a population cap. For more about how these cases fit into the legal and political ecosystem around changes enabled by prison population reduction, see Margo Schlanger, Plata v. Brown and Realignment: Jails, Prisons, Courts, and Politics, 48 Harv. C.R.C.L. L. Rev. 165 (2013).

See Searchable Results

Cases (40)

JAIL CONDITIONS

Benson v. County of Orange

8:90-cv-01964 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: 1990

Closed Date: April 22, 1993

In 1990, prisoners in the Orange County jail system filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division, against the County of Orange. Th…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Mims v. County of Fresno

10CECG00528 | California state trial court

Filed Date: 2010

Closed Date: Dec. 5, 2012

In January or February 2010, Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims laid off staff and shut down three floors of the county jail, substantially reducing capacity, because her budget wouldn't allow her to staff…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Inmates of the Riverside County Jail v. Clark

Unknown | California state trial court

Filed Date: 1981

Closed Date: July 12, 1983

Sometime in 1981, thirty-one prisoners at the Riverside County Jail at Indio filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside against the County Sheriff, challenging th…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Inmates of Santa Barbara County Jail v. Carpenter

89-152387 | California state trial court

Filed Date: 1989

This is a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Barbara by incarcerated people in the Santa Barbara County Main Jail against the County Sheriff, challenging their …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Yancey v. Rainey

29868 | California state trial court

Filed Date: 1984

Closed Date: 1986

While we have no documents associated with this case, it is one of Wayne Welsh's case studies and appears frequently in his works. The following summary is adopted from Wayne N. Welsh & Henry N. Pont…

JAIL CONDITIONS

In re Priest

Crim. No. 22427 | California state trial court

Filed Date: 1983

At some point in 1983 or before, some prisoners at the Lake County Jail filed habeas corpus petitions in the Lake County Superior Court challenging their conditions of confinement; these petitions we…

JAIL CONDITIONS

CODING IN PROCESS

Haas v. Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino County

04010 | California state trial court

Filed Date: 1998

Case Ongoing

[This summary is temporary while we research the case.] This is a case in which men incarcerated in a San Bernardino County Type II detention facility sued the Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Cole v. County of Santa Clara

5:16-cv-06594 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Nov. 14, 2016

Case Ongoing

On November 14, 2016, five prisoners in the Santa Clara County Jail system with mobility disabilities filed this class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Califor…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Hall v. Mims

1:11-cv-02047 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 13, 2011

Case Ongoing

On December 13, 2011, four inmates of the Fresno County Adult Detention Facilities filed a class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The plaintiffs sue…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Marvin v. County of Kings

01 C 0040 | California state trial court

Filed Date: Jan. 4, 2001

Case Ongoing

On January 4, 2001, the sheriff of Kings County filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California for the County of Kings against the County, seeking injunctive relief relating to the overcrowding …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Haller v. County of Sutter

2:93-cv-01256 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 3, 1993

Closed Date: 1994

On August 3, 1993, prisoners at the Sutter County jail filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California again the County Sheriff, challenging the constit…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Cruz v. County of Fresno

1:93-cv-05070 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: March 23, 1993

On March 23, 1993, plaintiffs, a class of prisoners incarcerated at the Fresno County Jail, filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, S…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Torres v. County of Merced

2:93-cv-00357 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: March 4, 1993

Closed Date: 2000

On March 4, 1993, prisoners at the Merced County Jail filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County of Merced. Plaintiffs, represen…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Wyckoff v. County of Tehama

2:92-cv-01472 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 4, 1992

Closed Date: 1998

On September 4, 1992, prisoners at the Tehama County Jail and the Work/Education Facility filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California again the Coun…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Kaiser v. County of Sacramento

2:91-cv-00300 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: March 12, 1991

Case Ongoing

On March 12, 1991, prisoners at two Sacramento County jails filed a class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County of Sacramento. The plai…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Ercoli v. County of Tuolumne

1:90-cv-00649 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Oct. 23, 1990

Closed Date: 1998

On October 23, 1990, several prisoners at the Tuolumne County Jail filed a class action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County of Tuolumne. The plaintiff…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Rodriguez v. Stanislaus County

1:90-cv-00601 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 26, 1990

On September 26, 1990, prisoners in the Stanislaus County jail system filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the county and the county …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Wooden v. County of Shasta

2:90-cv-01003 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 2, 1990

Closed Date: 1995

On August 2, 1990, prisoners at the Shasta County jail filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County of Shasta and the County Sheri…

JAIL CONDITIONS

York v. County of El Dorado

2:90-cv-00833 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: June 28, 1990

Closed Date: Jan. 18, 1994

Inmates at the El Dorado and South Lake Tahoe jails filed a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 class action lawsuit against county officials in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on June 28…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Anderson v. Kern County

1:90-cv-00205 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: April 9, 1990

Closed Date: Feb. 9, 1998

Because this case predates PACER, the Clearinghouse has limited information on what occurred. On April 9, 1990, prisoners in the Kern County jail filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Californ…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Harris v. County of Placer

2:90-cv-00394 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: March 29, 1990

On March 29, 1990, several prisoners in the Placer County jail system filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against Placer County. The plaintiffs, represen…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Roy v. County of Yolo

2:90-cv-00393 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: March 29, 1990

Closed Date: 1991

On March 29, 1990, prisoners at the Yolo County Jail filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County of Yolo and the County Sheriff. …

JAIL CONDITIONS

McGrath v. County of Nevada

2:89-cv-01658 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 4, 1989

On December 4, 1989, a class action lawsuit was filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, on behalf of all present and future prisoners of the Nevada County Jail and Nevada County Detention Center against Nevada…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Pederson v. County of Plumas

2:89-cv-01659 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 4, 1989

Case Ongoing

On December 4, 1989, detainees at the Plumas County Jail filed a class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County of Plumas. The plaintiffs,…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Doty v. County of Lassen

2:89-cv-01019 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: July 25, 1989

Closed Date: 1994

On July 25, 1989, prisoners at the old Lassen County Jail ("Old Jail") filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County of Lassen and …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Fuller v. Tidwell

2:87-03026 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: May 11, 1987

Closed Date: 1987

While we have no documents from this case, we do have descriptions in Ellen Barry, River Ginchild & Doreen Lee, Legal Issues for Prisoners with Children, in Children of Incarcerated Parents 147, 160 …

PRISON CONDITIONS

Boyden v. McCarthy/Rowland

2:86-01989 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: March 27, 1986

Closed Date: Oct. 2, 1989

This lawsuit was filed pro se by prisoners on March 27, 1986, in the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs sued the California Department of Corrections and the California Institute for Me…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Jones v. Brooks

084429 | California state trial court

Filed Date: June 13, 1984

Case Ongoing

On June 13, 1984, three prisoners at the Butte County Jail filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California for the County of Butte against the County Board of Supervisors, challenging the constit…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Becker v. County of Merced

71999 | California state trial court

Filed Date: April 13, 1983

On April 13, 1983, prisoners at the Merced County Jail filed a class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of California for the County of Merced against the County. The plaintiffs, represented by Fre…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Marin County Jail Inmates v. Prandi

82-106489 | California state trial court

Filed Date: March 11, 1982

Closed Date: 1982

On March 11, 1982, prisoners at the Marin County Jail filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California for the County of Marin against the County Sheriff, challenging their conditions of confineme…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Branson v. Winter

A020323 | California state appellate court

Filed Date: March 27, 1981

On March 27, 1981, a prisoner at the jail in Santa Clara County, California, appearing before a state judge to plead guilty to grand theft, handed the judge a petition for habeas corpus, challenging …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Cherco v. County of Sonoma

3:80-cv-00334 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Feb. 8, 1980

Closed Date: 1994

On February 8, 1980, prisoners at the Sonoma County Jail in Santa Rosa filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, against…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Mariscal v. Lowe

2:79-cv-00666 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 24, 1979

Closed Date: March 2, 1993

In September 1979, prisoners in the Sacramento County jail system filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against Sacramento County. The plainti…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Stone v. City and County of San Francisco

3:78-cv-02774 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 1, 1978

Closed Date: 1997

A class of prisoners brought this civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California on December 1, 1978, against the City and County of San Francisco challenging …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Mendoza v. County of Tulare

NA | California state trial court

Filed Date: Nov. 1, 1978

On November 1, 1978, prisoners at the Tulare County Jail filed a class action lawsuit in the Superior Court of California against the County of Tulare and several of its officers. The plaintiffs brou…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Fischer v. Winter

3:76-02208 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Oct. 5, 1976

On October 5, 1976, female prisoners housed at the Santa Clara County Women's Detention Facility filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Distri…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Stewart v. Gates

2:75-cv-03075 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 11, 1975

Closed Date: Feb. 10, 2014

In 1975, pretrial detainees in the Orange County Jail filed a lawsuit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, challenging the conditio…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Rutherford v. Block

2:75-cv-04111 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: Feb. 9, 1975

Case Ongoing

On February 9, 1975, prisoners represented by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, challenging th…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Kinale v. Dowe

3:73-00374 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 6, 1973

Closed Date: April 30, 1974

In 1973, prisoners in the San Diego County jail system filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, challenging their conditions of confinement. Th…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Sandoval v. Noren

3:72-cv-02213 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 4, 1972

Closed Date: 1978

In December 1972, prisoners at the Santa Cruz County Jail filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging their conditions of confinement.…