Special Collection: California's Prisoners' Rights Bar article

Mental health unit at San Diego Central Jail

These cases are described in an article about how California's very large bar with a critical mass of expert prisoners' rights lawyers has enabled prisoners' rights litigation in California to be uniquely influential: Margo Schlanger, The Just-Barely-Sustainable California Prisoners' Rights Ecosystem, 664 Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 62 (2015).

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Cases (34)

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

United States v. County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Sheriff [USDOJ CRIPA Case]

2:15-cv-05903 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 5, 2015

Case Ongoing

On June 6, 1996, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) notified Los Angeles County that it intended to investigate conditions in the Los Angeles County Jail system (the Jails) pursuant to the…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Parenti v. County of Monterey

5:14-cv-05481 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 16, 2014

Closed Date: April 29, 2019

On December 16, 2014, the estate of an inmate who died in jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs sued Monterey County, the Monterey…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Estate of Claypole v. County of San Mateo

5:14-cv-02730 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: June 12, 2014

Closed Date: 2016

On June 12, 2014, the mother of a pretrial detainee who committed suicide while in jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiff sued the C…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Mayfield v. Orozco

2:13-cv-02499 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 3, 2013

Closed Date: 2017

On December 3, 2013, a pre-trial detainee in the Sacramento County Jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The plaintiff sued the Sacramento County …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Gray v. County of Riverside

5:13-cv-00444 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: May 8, 2013

Case Ongoing

On May 8, 2013, three prisoners in Riverside County jails filed this class-action lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California. The plaintiffs sued the County of Riverside …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Hernandez v. County of Monterey

5:13-cv-02354 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: March 23, 2013

Case Ongoing

On May 23, 2013, prisoners and recently released prisoners from Monterey County Jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs sued the Cou…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Gabriel Carrillo v. Pantamitr Zunggeemoge

2:12-cv-02609 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: March 27, 2012

Closed Date: 2014

On March 27, 2012, a visitor to the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The plaintiff sued jails employees and …

JAIL CONDITIONS

Estate of Prasad v. County of Sutter

2:12-cv-00592 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: March 6, 2012

Closed Date: June 11, 2014

On March 6, 2012, the mother and minor children of a pre-trial detainee who died in jail from an infection filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The pl…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Rosas v. Baca

2:12-cv-00428 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: Jan. 18, 2012

Case Ongoing

On January 18, 2012, prisoners at the Los Angeles County Jail filed this class action in the U.S. Court for the Central District of California. The prisoners sued the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department…

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

Bock v. County of Sutter

2:11-cv-00536 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Feb. 24, 2011

Closed Date: Sept. 4, 2014

On February 24, 2011, the estate of a mentally ill inmate who committed suicide in the Sutter County Jail filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The plaint…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Holguin v. County of Los Angeles

2:10-cv-08011 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: Oct. 25, 2010

Closed Date: 2013

On October 25, 2010, an inmate at the LA County Men's Central Jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The plaintiff sued Los Angeles County under 42…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Rodriguez v. County of Los Angeles

2:10-cv-06342 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 20, 2010

Closed Date: Nov. 26, 2018

On August 20, 2010, five inmates in the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Proceeding under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 a…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Ashker v. Brown

4:09-cv-05796 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 9, 2009

Closed Date: March 11, 2024

On December 9, 2009, two prisoners at California's Pelican Bay prison who had been kept in solitary confinement for decades filed this § 1983 action against the State of California in the U.S. Distri…

JAIL CONDITIONS

Johnson v. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

2:08-cv-03515 | U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Filed Date: May 29, 2008

Case Ongoing

On May 29, 2008, three prisoners with mobility impairments housed in Los Angeles County jail facilities filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The plain…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Mitchell v. Felker

2:08-cv-01196 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: May 21, 2008

Closed Date: 2016

On May 21, 2008, a California inmate filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the California Department of Corrections and Reha…

CRIMINAL JUSTICE (OTHER)

L.H. v. Schwarzennegger

2:06-cv-02042 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 13, 2006

Closed Date: 2014

On September 13, 2006, several Department of Juvenile Justice parolees filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. (They amended the complaint a week later.)…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Perez v. Tilton

3:05-cv-05241 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 19, 2005

Closed Date: 2013

On December 19, 2005, a California state prisoner filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiff sought injuncti…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Hecker v. CDCR

2:05-cv-02441 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Dec. 1, 2005

Case Ongoing

On December 1, 2005, a group of California prisoners with mental illness filed this suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The prisoners filed against the California …

JUVENILE INSTITUTION

Farrell v. Harper

03-79344 | California state trial court

Filed Date: Jan. 16, 2003

Closed Date: 2016

On January 16, 2003, a taxpayer whose juvenile nephew was a ward of the court filed this lawsuit in the Alameda County, California, Superior Court. The plaintiff filed under state law against the dir…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Plata v. Newsom

4:01-cv-01351 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 20, 2001

Case Ongoing

NOTE: Documents relating to the prison overcrowding proceedings in this case under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, which led to imposition of a statewide prison population cap, affirmed by the Supr…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Clark v. California

3:96-cv-01486 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: April 22, 1996

Case Ongoing

On April 22, 1996, two prisoners with developmental disabilities, incarcerated within facilities run by the California Department of Corrections (CDC), filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. Distri…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Shumate v. Wilson

2:95-cv-00619 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: April 4, 1995

Closed Date: 2000

On April 4, 1995, women inmates filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the governor of California and California…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Castillo v. Alameida

3:94-cv-02847 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 9, 1994

Closed Date: 2004

On August 9, 1994, a prisoner at Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The prisoner sued the state of California under…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Armstrong v. Newsom

4:94-cv-02307 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: June 29, 1994

Case Ongoing

On June 29, 1994, eleven California state prisoners and parolees with disabilities filed this lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections—now the California Department of Corrections and…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Valdivia v. Davis

2:94-cv-00671 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: May 2, 1994

Closed Date: July 2, 2013

On May 2, 1994, a group of California parolees filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the State of California. S…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Madrid v. Gomez

3:90-cv-03094 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Oct. 26, 1990

Closed Date: 2011

On October 26, 1990, prisoners at the Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the California Department of Corrections in the…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Coleman v. Brown

2:90-cv-00520 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: April 23, 1990

Case Ongoing

NOTE: All the documents in this case relating to the prison overcrowding proceedings, which led to imposition of a statewide prison population cap, affirmed by the Supreme Court, are presented in a r…

PRISON CONDITIONS

U.S. v. California

2:89-cv-01233 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Sept. 12, 1989

Closed Date: 1997

On September 12, 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the State of California, the California Department of Corrections (DOC), and the California Medical Facility at Vac…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Gates v. Deukmejian

2:87-cv-01636 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Nov. 20, 1987

Closed Date: 1998

On November 20, 1987, prisoners incarcerated at the California Medical Facility at Vacaville (CMF) and at the Northern Reception Center (NRC) filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 again…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Lancaster v. Tilton / Thompson v. Gomez

3:79-cv-01630 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: July 6, 1979

Closed Date: 2009

On July 6, 1979, prisoners on death row at the California State Prison at San Quentin filed a class action lawsuit under 42 USC § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Californ…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Toussaint v. McCarthy / Wright v. Enonmoto

3:73-cv-01422 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 15, 1973

Closed Date: Feb. 13, 1997

In 1973, prisoners confined in administrative segregation in four California state prisons - San Quentin, Folsom, Dueul Vocational Institute at Tracy, and the Correctional Training Facility at Soleda…

PRISON CONDITIONS

Gilmore v. State of California

3:66-cv-45878 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: Oct. 27, 1966

Closed Date: 2015

In 1966, Robert Gilmore, an inmate at San Quentin, brought this suit against the California Department of Corrections (CDC) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The pla…