Filed Date: Sept. 10, 1979
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Inmates at the Buchanan County Jail in St. Joseph, Missouri, filed a pro se class-action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against representatives of the county in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, alleging that their 8th Amendment rights and due process rights had been violated by inadequacies at the jail in the areas of overcrowding, physical environment, religious exercise, medical care, recreational facilities, reading materials, legal materials, sanitation, fire safety, inmate supplies, grievance procedures, disciplinary procedures, overheating, showering, and visitation. On October 20, 1981, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri (Judge Howard F. Sachs) held that, under a totality of conditions test, conditions at the county jail violated the 8th Amendment rights of convicted prisoners and the due process rights of the pretrial detainees. Heitman v. Gabriel, 524 F.Supp. 622 (W.D.Mo. 1981). Rather than ordering specific measures to fix the problems, the court ordered the parties to propose remedial measures to take care of the problems in the county jail so that the court could consider them. We have no further information on the facts of this case.
Summary Authors
Kristen Sagar (3/9/2006)
Sachs, Howard Frederic (Missouri)
York, Claudia J. (Missouri)
Bradley, Suzanne B. (Missouri)
Marquart, Keith B. (Missouri)
Sachs, Howard Frederic (Missouri)
Last updated April 4, 2024, 3:01 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Missouri
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 10, 1979
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
inmates at the Buchanan County Jail in St. Joseph, Missouri
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Buchanan County (St. Joeseph, Buchanan), County
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1981 - None
Issues
General:
Access to lawyers or judicial system
Food service / nutrition / hydration
Sanitation / living conditions
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Medical/Mental Health:
Type of Facility: