Case: Ambrose v. Malcolm

1:76-cv-00190 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Filed Date: Jan. 14, 1976

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

In early 1976, the plaintiffs, pretrial detainees at a New York state detention facility, brought this class action suit against New York City, the New York City Department of Corrections, and its officials in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of their housing conditions. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that the dormitories Bronx House of Detention were overcrowded as they had a rated capacity of twenty-four indiv…

In early 1976, the plaintiffs, pretrial detainees at a New York state detention facility, brought this class action suit against New York City, the New York City Department of Corrections, and its officials in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of their housing conditions. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that the dormitories Bronx House of Detention were overcrowded as they had a rated capacity of twenty-four individuals, but were housing an average of forty-five to sixty.

On January 14, 1976, the plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the defendants from housing more than one individual in a cell at the Bronx House of Detention and housing more than 24 inmates in a dormitory. The court (District Judge Morris E. Lasker) granted the preliminary injunction on June 4, 1976, finding that the plaintiffs would likely be able to prove at trial that a dormitory could hold a maximum of twenty-nine inmates, and restrained the defendants from housing more than twenty-nine men in a single dormitory at the Bronx House of Detention. 414 F. Supp. 485.

As we were unable to find a docket for this case, it is unclear what happened between January 14 and July 26 of 1976. On July 26, 1976, the Court ordered the defendants to create a temporary contact visitation program at the Bronx House of Detention by September 15, 1976 and submit a plan for the creation of a permanent facility. The permanent facility was required to be completed by May 15, 1977. The defendants moved to modify the July 26 order to extend the date for the completion of the permanent contact visiting facility to July 1978, claiming that the original deadline was impossible to fulfill. The Court denied their motion, stating the enjoyment of constitutional rights could not be delayed merely because the City's ordinary bureaucratic process was insufficient. The Court determined that that the City was obligated to undertake a crash program if necessary, and must demonstrate to the Court that a crash program would be insufficient to extend their deadline. 440 F. Supp. 51.

At some time between 1976 and November 1978, this case was consolidated with Benjamin v. Horn.

Summary Authors

Lily Sawyer-Kaplan (4/6/2022)

Related Cases

Detainees of Brooklyn House of Detention for Men v. Malcolm, Eastern District of New York (1973)

Benjamin v. Horn, Southern District of New York (1975)

Maldonado v. Ciuros, Southern District of New York (1976)

People


Judge(s)
Attorney for Plaintiff

Berger, Joel (New York)

D'Apolito, Norma P. (New York)

Englander, David A. (New York)

Hellerstein, William E. (New York)

Herman, Steven A. (New York)

Attorney for Defendant

show all people

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

1:76-cv-00190

Order

Benjamin v. Malcolm; Ambrose v. Malcolm

June 3, 1975

June 3, 1975

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00190

Order

Jan. 24, 1976

Jan. 24, 1976

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00190

Memorandum

May 6, 1976

May 6, 1976

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00190

[Order]

Benjamin v. Malcolm

May 10, 1976

May 10, 1976

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00190

Opinion

June 4, 1976

June 4, 1976

Order/Opinion

414 F.Supp. 414

1:76-cv-00190

Memorandum

July 13, 1976

July 13, 1976

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00190

Order

July 26, 1976

July 26, 1976

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00190

[Untitled]

Nov. 22, 1977

Nov. 22, 1977

Order/Opinion

440 F.Supp. 440

1:76-cv-00190

Stipulation of a Partial Settlement for a Preliminary Injunction on Recreation and Day Rooms

Sept. 12, 1978

Sept. 12, 1978

Settlement Agreement

1:76-cv-00190

Proposed Partial FInal Judgement By Consent

March 14, 1979

March 14, 1979

Settlement Agreement

Docket

Last updated March 17, 2024, 3 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: New York

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: Jan. 14, 1976

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Pretrial detainees at a New York state detention facility, Bronx House of Detention.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

Legal Services/Legal Aid

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Unknown

Class Action Outcome: Unknown

Defendants

New York City, City

Defendant Type(s):

Jurisdiction-wide

Corrections

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Preliminary injunction / Temp. restraining order

Damages

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Litigation

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1978 - None

Content of Injunction:

Preliminary relief granted

Monitor/Master

Monitoring

Issues

General:

Conditions of confinement

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Visiting

Crowding / caseload

Pre-PLRA Population Cap

Affected Sex or Gender:

Male

Type of Facility:

Government-run