In April 1984, thirteen female inmates at the Colorado Women's Correctional Facility in Fremont County, Colorado, filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. §1983 against the Colorado Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and Colorado Rural Legal Services, asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief as well as monetary damages. They alleged that their constitutional rights had been violated by deficiencies at the prison in the areas of overcrowding, sanitation, safety, medical care, food service, and discrimination against handicapped inmates.

On February 10, 1986, the parties entered into a consent decree, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado (Judge Donald Campbell) signed it on February 14, 1986. The order provided for improvements in the areas of medical care, storage for inmate property, handicapped access, food service, fire safety, heating, lighting, and grievance procedures. No monetary damages were awarded.

The six-month compliance report filed with the court noted that the defendants were in full compliance with the consent decree. We have no further information on the proceedings in this case.

Kristen Sagar - 03/31/2006


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