On October 6, 1999, a pretrial detainee of the Christian County Jail in Ozark, Missouri, represented by the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri and private counsel, brought a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. In the action he claimed violations of due process through lack of access to courts, lack of protection from cruel and unusual punishment, and inadequate conditions of the jail and sought declaratory and injunctive relief. The parties settled and a consent decree was approved by the Court (Magistrate Judge James C. England) on February 3, 2000. Under the decree, the defendants agreed to implement several provisions to improve safety and general conditions of the jail. On May 5, 2000 the Court awarded plaintiffs attorneys' fees, money for future monitoring, and total expenses.

No further information is available.

Rebecca Bloch - 04/23/2006


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