On August 2, 2014, prisoners at the Franklin County Jail filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Franklin County. The plaintiffs, represented by Columbia Legal Services, claimed that jail officials' excessive use of force and the jail's squalid living conditions violated the First, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. They asked the Court to preliminarily and permanently enjoin the County from permitting such abuses.
The plaintiffs alleged that jail staff regularly utilized restraint chairs and chained prisoners to fixed objects for long periods of time, pepper sprayed prisoners without cause or proper supervision, and locked prisoners in segregation or isolation without cause and in inhumane conditions for up to 23 hours per day. The plaintiffs also claimed that jail officials seized prisoners' property without notice or cause, denied prisoners outdoor exercise, and prohibited prisoners from visiting with friends and family. Furthermore, the plaintiffs alleged that the County did not provide any educational services, programming, or religious services for prisoners. As a result, the plaintiffs suffered emotional, physical and psychological injuries.
On August 5, 2014, the plaintiffs moved for a temporary restraining order barring the County from chaining prisoners to fixed objects. Judge Stanley A. Bastian denied the motion, finding that the plaintiffs failed to make an adequate showing of immediate irreparable harm and because they sought to alter, rather than preserve, the status quo.
On January 12, 2015, Judge Bastian referred the case to Magistrate Judge James P. Hutton for settlement conference. Then, on December 16, 2015, Judge Bastian referred the case to Magistrate Judge John T. Rodgers for settlement conference.
On February 12, 2016, both parties filed a joint motion to stay further proceedings in the litigation. The parties had come to a settlement agreement on February 5, 2016, that was confirmed by Magistrate Judge Rogers. On March 16, 2016, Judge Bastian granted the joint motion.
On March 28, 2016, the plaintiffs filed a motion to certify class for the purposes of settlement and for preliminary approval of settlement. They requested that the court certify a settlement class defined as “All individuals who are now, or in the future will be, detained in the Franklin County Correctional Center during the term of the parties’ Settlement Agreement.”
The settlement agreement required a three year term during which the defendant would be monitored by an independent third party to ensure compliance. The agreement required the defendant to hire additional staff, enter into a new contract for medical services, renovate and repair parts of the jail, adopt new policies, end a 23-hour lockdown policy and other practices, and train jail staff on these new policies and procedures. The court retained jurisdiction over the settlement. Plaintiffs would be awarded reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs as well.
On April 28, 2016, Judge Bastian granted the joint motion to certify class noting that the class was numerous, that there were common questions among class members, and that the representatives were typical of the class.
On July 8, 2016, the plaintiffs filed a motion for settlement requesting final approval which the court granted on July 21, 2016. A few months later, Judge Bastian appointed Phillip Stanley as the monitor for the settlement agreement.
On December 13, 2016, the court granted a joint motion to award plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and costs, accepting the $400,557.66 as reasonable. There has been no issue with compliance to the settlement agreement that is present in the docket. The case is closed.
Nate West - 10/15/2014
Jake Parker - 05/23/2018
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