Case: United States v. New Jersey (DOJ CRIPA Investigation of Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women)

2:21-cv-15031 | U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

Filed Date: Aug. 10, 2021

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

On August 10, 2021, the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division announced that it had reached a settlement with the New Jersey Department of Corrections regarding conditions at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. At the same time, it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, requesting that the court approve and enforce the purposed consent decree. DOJ had opened a Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) investigation into the faci…

On August 10, 2021, the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division announced that it had reached a settlement with the New Jersey Department of Corrections regarding conditions at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. At the same time, it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, requesting that the court approve and enforce the purposed consent decree. DOJ had opened a Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) investigation into the facility in April 2018 based on allegations that the prison failed to protect prisoners from sexual abuse by prison staff in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

The proposed decree would revise policies around sexual assault, prisoner supervision, camera management, staff and inmate relations, reporting sexual assault, prisoner education, cross-gender searches, protective custody, retaliation prevention, responses to sexual assault, referrals of sexual assault and staff reporting of personal relationships. Jane Parnell would be appointed as Monitor. Edna Mahan would provide the new policies to the DOJ and Monitor for feedback and thereafter adopt them within 1 year of the effective date of the consent decree. The consent decree would last for three years.

The court has not yet approved the consent decree and the case is ongoing.

Contemporaneously with the DOJ settlement, several plaintiffs who had previously been incarcerated at the facility reached a monetary class action settlement in New Jersey state court against the Department of Corrections. That case is in this Clearinghouse as A.F. & M.D. v. New Jersey Department of Corrections; Marianne Brown et al. v. New Jersey Department of Corrections; Tamasa Nobles et al. v. William Anderson et al.

Summary Authors

Jonah Hudson-Erdman (9/12/2021)

Kathryn Hurley (2/18/2022)

Related Cases

A.F. & M.D. v. New Jersey Department of Corrections; Marianne Brown v. New Jersey Department of Corrections; Tamasa Nobles v. William Anderson, New Jersey state trial court (2017)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60120828/parties/united-states-v-state-of-new-jersey/


Attorney for Plaintiff

Campion, Michael E (New Jersey)

Clarke, Kristen M. (District of Columbia)

Dean, Kerry Krentler (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant
Expert/Monitor/Master/Other

Carpenito, Craig (New Jersey)

Dreiband, Eric S. (District of Columbia)

show all people

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

Notice Regarding Investigation of Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women

DOJ CRIPA Investigation of Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women

No Court

April 13, 2020

April 13, 2020

Notice Letter

Investigation of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women (Union Township, New Jersey)

DOJ CRIPA Investigation of Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women

No Court

April 13, 2020

April 13, 2020

Findings Letter/Report
1

2:21-cv-15031

Complaint

United States of America v. State of New Jersey

Aug. 10, 2021

Aug. 10, 2021

Complaint

2:21-cv-15031

Settlement Agreement

United States of America v. The State of New Jersey

Sept. 1, 2021

Sept. 1, 2021

Settlement Agreement

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60120828/united-states-v-state-of-new-jersey/

Last updated Feb. 18, 2024, 3:11 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against All Defendants, filed by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. (Attachments: # 1 Attachment A - Certificate of the Attorney General)(CAMPION, MICHAEL) (Entered: 08/10/2021)

1 Attachment A - Certificate of the Attorney General

View on PACER

Aug. 10, 2021

Aug. 10, 2021

RECAP

Case Details

State / Territory: New Jersey

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Special Collection(s):

Post-PLRA enforceable consent decrees

Key Dates

Filing Date: Aug. 10, 2021

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

United States

Plaintiff Type(s):

U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division

Public Interest Lawyer: No

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

New Jersey, State

New Jersey Department of Corrections, State

State of New Jersey (Clinton, Hunterdon), State

New Jersey Department of Corrections (Clinton, Hunterdon), State

Defendant Type(s):

Corrections

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.

Constitutional Clause(s):

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Complaint (any)

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Content of Injunction:

Monitor/Master

Monitoring

Issues

General:

Conditions of confinement

Pattern or Practice

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Sex w/ staff; sexual harassment by staff

Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)

Assault/abuse by non-staff (facilities)

Affected Sex or Gender:

Female

Type of Facility:

Government-run