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$2 Million Settlement in Lawsuit Over California Jail Prisoner’s Suicide
by Matt Clarke
In March 2019, Kern County, California agreed to pay $2 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the parents and estate of a man who committed suicide at the county’s jail. The suit alleged jail staff ignored obvious signs of his mental instability and self-harm behavior at ...
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
- Alaska Pays $400,000 to Settle Jail Prisoner’s Wrongful Death Suit, by Douglas Ankney
- Report: Summit Food Services Provides Inadequate Nutrition at Missouri Jail, by Kevin Bliss
- Maricopa County Pays $300,000 to Settle Lawsuit Over Arpaio-Era Prisoner Death, by Matthew Clarke
- Mississippi Prison Deaths Spike for Second Year; Disturbing Photos Revealed, by David M. Reutter, Matthew Clarke
- Illinois DOC Interferes with Prisoners’ College Program by Removing Books, by Edward Lyon
- Lawsuits Challenge Florida Law that Undermines Voting Rights Ballot Initiative, by David M. Reutter
- Third Circuit Affirms Refusal to Appoint Successive Counsel in Prisoner’s Civil Rights Case, by David M. Reutter
- Oregon Sheriff Places Own Head on the Chopping Block for Budget Cuts, by Kevin Bliss
- $2 Million Settlement in Lawsuit Over California Jail Prisoner’s Suicide, by Matthew Clarke
- California Court of Appeal Reverses Convictions for Possession of Marijuana in Prison, by Dale Chappell
- Second Circuit: Discharge Health Plan Part of In-Custody Mental Health Treatment When Pretrial Detainees Released, by Edward Lyon
- Oregon Supreme Court Reverses Course: Secretly Taping Prisoner’s Statements Does Not Violate Right to Counsel, by Mark Wilson
- Arizona DOC Publishes, Then Rescinds, Prison Tour Policy that Excluded Public Officials and Media, by Matthew Clarke
- Denver Tries to End Private Prison Companies’ Halfway House Contracts, by Matthew Clarke
- Lawsuit: Woman Gave Birth Alone in Colorado Jail Cell, by Kevin Bliss
- Connecticut Prison Writing Program Leads to Lawsuits, by David M. Reutter
- Third Circuit: Showers Part of Prison Operations for ADA and RA Purposes, by David M. Reutter
- Investigations into Texas Jail Deaths Find Thousands of Guards Untrained, on Temporary Licenses, by Matthew Clarke
- Former DOC Employee Awarded $300,000 in Workplace Sexual Harassment Case, by Matthew Clarke
- New York State Prisoner Wins Medical Malpractice Suit, Awarded $30,000, by Edward Lyon
- As Climate Changes, High Temperatures Plague Prisons and Jails, by Matthew Clarke
- Former Hawaii Prisoner’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Settles for Paltry $10,000, by Edward Lyon
- The Sentencing Project Issues Report on Reducing Excessive Punishment for Violent Crimes, by Matthew Clarke
- California Federal Court Orders City to Pay $150,000 for Failure to Comply with Jail Settlement, by Chad Marks
- Fourth Circuit: Three Tasings in 70 Seconds May Constitute Excessive Force, by David M. Reutter
- California Prisoner Wins $365,000 Settlement for Assault by Jail Guards, by Scott Grammer
- Denial of Summary Judgment for Prison Officials Affirmed in West Virginia Excessive Force Case, by Scott Grammer
- Michigan Prisoner Prevails in First Amendment Retaliation Case; $30,000 in Damages and Attorney Fees, by David M. Reutter
- Cook County, Illinois to Pay $1.7 Million for Former Marine’s Suicide in Jail, by Douglas Ankney
- Court Grants Remittitur in Former Prison Teacher’s Sexual Harassment Case – Total Award of $6.4 Million Plus Fees, Costs, Interest, by Matthew Clarke
- Arizona Prisoner Receives $175,000 after Guards Read His Legal Mail, Shared it with FBI and Prosecutors, by Matthew Clarke
- Author John Grisham Pens Editorial Criticizing Death Penalty in North Carolina, by Scott Grammer
- Santa Clara County Jail Captain Accused of Misconduct, Retires, by Scott Grammer
- Family of California Prisoner Who Committed Suicide Settles Suit for $595,000, by Scott Grammer
- California County Settles Jail Death for $300,000, by Edward Lyon
- Alabama Jail Prisoner Accused of Conspiring to Get Pregnant, Claiming Rape, by Douglas Ankney
- Tenth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of New Mexico Prisoner’s First Amendment Claims, by Scott Grammer
- North Carolina Prisoners Sue Over Gang Violence, Obtain $62,500 Settlement
- Hepatitis C Treatment Ordered in North Carolina Prisons, by David M. Reutter
- $157,000 Settlement in Michigan DOC Employee Discrimination Case, by David M. Reutter
- Congressional Black Caucus Institute Accepts Donations from Private Prison Companies, by Matthew Clarke
- Exploiting Prisoners on Prime Time, by Edward Lyon
- Three Louisiana Prisoners Cleared in 1994 Rape of Another Prisoner, by David M. Reutter
- Veteran Oregon Jail Guard Indicted and Jailed, by Mark Wilson
- Federal Court Sanctions New Mexico Corrections Department Over Out-of-State Legal Mail, by Matthew Clarke
- Survey: Jail Population Down but Incarceration Rates Higher for Whites, Women, by Jayson Hawkins
- Why Our Movement Can’t Afford to Ignore Private Prison Corporations, by Caroline Isaacs
- Audit Finds Mississippi Private Prison Plagued by Violence, Run by Gangs, by Kevin Bliss
- Infamous Louisiana Sheriff on His Way Out, by David M. Reutter
- San Francisco to Cut Costs for Jail Phone Calls, Commissary Sales, by Edward Lyon
- Vermont Supreme Court Remands Prison Correspondence Claim, by Edward Lyon
- Class Certified in Lawsuit Challenging Missouri Parole Violation Procedures, by David M. Reutter
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Mentally Ill Prisoners’ Suit Against GEO Group Survives Motion to Dismiss, by Douglas Ankney
- California Tried to Fix Its Prisons. Now County Jails Are More Deadly, by Ryan Gabrielson, Jason Pohl
More from Matthew Clarke:
- Texas Social Workers Challenge Blanket Denial of State Occupational License Based on Youthful Assault Convictions, Aug. 1, 2025
- After Judge’s Letter, at Least 22 Former FCI Dublin Prisoners Granted Compassionate Release, Aug. 1, 2025
- Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Award of Time Served Credit for Non-Citizen Awaiting Extradition, Aug. 1, 2025
- Former Oregon Prison Guard Sergeant Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Imprisoned Women, Aug. 1, 2025
- Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Procedure for Crediting Jail Time to Multiple Contemporaneously-Imposed Sentences, Aug. 1, 2025
- Over One-Third of Older Texas Prisoners Suffering Cognitive Impairment, July 15, 2025
- Kansas Supreme Court Revives Prisoner’s Challenge to Loss of Parental Rights, June 1, 2025
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Baha’i Texas Prisoner’s Dietary Claim, June 1, 2025
- $5.6 Million Settlement for California Prisoner’s Wife Strip-searched During Visit, June 1, 2025
- Academic Study of Prison Guards’ Use of Excessive Force Details Sad State of Civil Rights for Abused Prisoners, June 1, 2025
More from these topics:
- CDCR Held in Contempt, Fined $112 Million in Longstanding Litigation Over Mental Health Care, Aug. 1, 2025. Staffing, Mental Health, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides.
- Watchdog Calls Out D.C. for Dragging Feet on Construction of New Jail, Aug. 1, 2025. Totality of Conditions, Overcrowding, Ventilation, Exercise, Exposure to Cold, Jail Specific, Lighting, Noise, Vermin, Exposure to Heat, Security Systems.
- HRDC Wins Consent Decree, $350,000 in Jail Censorship Suit against California’s Sonoma County, Aug. 1, 2025. Jail Specific, Censorship, Prison Conditions.
- Class-Action Suit at BOP “Rape Club” in California Settled for Record $116 Million, July 15, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, DOC/BOP misconduct, Settlements, Injunctions, Class Actions.
- Oregon Prisoners Can Now Seek Economic Damages for Future Lost Income More Easily, July 15, 2025. Retaliation, Settlements, Defamation, Employment Deprivation.
- The Dangerous Practice of Late-Night Jail Releases, July 15, 2025. Failure to Protect (General), Jail Specific, Arrest and Booking, Release and Reentry.
- Ongoing Detainee Deaths Push Rikers Island into Federal Court Receivership, July 15, 2025. Totality of Conditions, Failure to Protect (General), Fire Hazards, Overcrowding, Eighth Amendment, Staffing, Environmental Law, Plumbing, Sewage, Jail Specific.
- $550,000 Settlement After Juvenile’s Suicide at Charlotte Jail, July 15, 2025. Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides, Failure to Protect (Juveniles).
- Watchdogs Fault Nebraska Prisons for Suicide Response, Overpaid Staff, June 1, 2025. Suicides, Guards/Staff, Staff Training.
- Fifth Circuit Refuses to Stop Court-Ordered Construction of Mental Health Facility at New Orleans Jail, June 1, 2025. Jail Specific.