On October 15, 2015, a prisoner in the state of Vermont filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Vermont. The plaintiff sued the state of Vermont, the Agency of Human Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Aging and Independent Living under 42 U.S.C. § 12182. The plaintiff, represented by Disability Rights Vermont, asked the court for declaratory, injunctive, compensatory, and punitive relief. The plaintiff claimed that his continued incarceration violated Title II of the ADA and the “Integration Mandate” of the ADA. He also claimed that placement in his conditions constituted a violation of the rehabilitation act and a violation of the Vermont Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act.

Specifically, the plaintiff claimed that he had served his minimum sentence as of July 13, 2013 but he continued to be held at Southern State Correctional Facility because the defendants failed to implement disability-related support in the community. Without the support in the community, the plaintiff is at risk for continued unnecessary and harmful institutionalization. Also, had the plaintiff been placed in the most integrated setting possible, he would not have experienced exacerbated mental, emotional, and physical trauma, which included a significant suicide attempt. The plaintiff endured unnecessary pain and suffering and a continuing violation of his civil rights in the form of disability-based discrimination.

The parties conducted discovery and had an Early Neutral Evaluation meeting in which a full settlement was reached. On June 7, 2016, Judge William Sessions dismissed the case according to the private settlement and ordered to reopen the action if the settlement is not consummated.

Stephanie Benjamini - 10/23/2016


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