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Case Name
Washington v. Reno
PC-KY-0002
Docket / Court
93-217 ( E.D. Ky. )
State/Territory
Kentucky
Case Type(s)
Prison Conditions
Case Summary
On June 2, 1993, federal prison inmates filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, challenging the Federal Bureau of Prisons' replacement of the collect call system with a direct dial system. Almost immediately thereafter, the case was ...
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On June 2, 1993, federal prison inmates filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, challenging the Federal Bureau of Prisons' replacement of the collect call system with a direct dial system. Almost immediately thereafter, the case was consolidated with a similar claim, Robinson v. Hambrick, filed on July 9, 1993. The District Court (Judge Henry R. Wilhoit, Jr.) issued a preliminary injunction on October 13, 1993, blocking the installation of the new system nationwide. On November 18, 1993 the court certified a plaintiff class of "all federally incarcerated inmates serving their period of incarceration in a federal penal or medical institution."
The United States appealed the preliminary injunction. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (Judge Martha Daughtrey) modified in part, dissolved in part, and remanded, holding that the new call system did not violate the inmates' First Amendment rights. Washington v. Reno, 35 F.3d 1093 (6th Cir. 1994). The court agreed, however, with more minor aspects of the ruling, holding that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a preliminary injunction against prison officials from using a prison commissary fund to fund the system's replacement. Additionally, the 6th Circuit held that a nationwide injunction was not overly broad.
In August 1995, the parties entered into a settlement agreement that included a stipulation of dismissal. This was approved and entered by the court on November 3, 1995. The agreement provided among other things, for the procurement of a new telephone system at all federal prisons that would allow all inmates access to collect calling. The agreement detailed various procedures related to inmate phone access and use, but made clear that the federal bureau of prisons retained discretion to set phone use policy. The agreement also covered procedures for rates, inmate disputes, telephone lists, payments and credits, and other such details. It also provided for ongoing regulation of the Bureau of Prisons' phone service. The docket's last entry is a destruction of exhibits on January 31, 2003.
David Terry - 03/27/2006
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Content of Injunction
Preliminary relief granted
General
Phone
Type of Facility
Government-run
Causes of Action
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Plaintiff Description
all federally incarcerated inmates serving their period of incarceration in a federal penal or medical institution
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
Yes
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
Preliminary injunction / Temp. restraining order
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Litigation
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
1993 - 2003
Filing Year
1993
Case Closing Year
2003
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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Civil Rights Injunctions Over Time: A Case Study of Jail and Prison Court Orders
N.Y.U. Law Review
Date: May 2006
By: Margo Schlanger (Washington University Faculty)
Citation: 81 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 550 (2006)
[ Detail ]
[ PDF ]
[ External Link ]
Judicial Policy Making and the Modern State: How the Courts Reformed America's Prisons
Book
Date: Jan. 1, 1998
By: Malcolm M. Feeley & Edward Rubin (UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law & Vanderbilt School of Law Faculty Faculty)
Citation: (1998)
[ Detail ]
Documents
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Docket(s)
93-CV-00217-HRW
(E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-9000.pdf
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Detail
Date: 07/29/1993
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
93-290
(E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-9001.pdf
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Detail
Date: 01/31/2003
General Documents
Reported Opinion
(35 F.3d 1093)
PC-KY-0002-0008.pdf
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WESTLAW
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LEXIS
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Detail
Date: 11/03/1994
Source: Google Scholar
Joint Motion for Approval of the Proposed Settlement Agreement
PC-KY-0002-0006.pdf
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Detail
Date: 08/02/1995
Notice of Proposed Settlement and Fairness Hearing
PC-KY-0002-0003.pdf
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Detail
Date: 08/04/1995
Memorandum [ECF# 343]
PC-KY-0002-0002.pdf
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Detail
Date: 08/04/1995
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
Order Providing Notice to the Class of the Proposed Settlement Agreement
(E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-0007.pdf
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Detail
Date: 08/10/1995
Memorandum Order
(1995 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 22245) (E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-0009.pdf
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LEXIS
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Detail
Date: 10/11/1995
Source: LexisNexis
Settlement Agreement
PC-KY-0002-0004.pdf
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Detail
Date: 11/03/1995
Memorandum Opinion and Order
(1996 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 22622) (E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-0010.pdf
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LEXIS
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Detail
Date: 01/04/1996
Source: LexisNexis
Order
(1997 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 23892) (E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-0011.pdf
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LEXIS
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Detail
Date: 02/11/1997
Source: LexisNexis
Memorandum Opinion and Order
(1998 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 23123) (E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-0012.pdf
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LEXIS
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Detail
Date: 07/22/1998
Source: LexisNexis
Criminal Calls: A Review of the Bureau of Prisons' Management of Inmate Telephone Privileges, Appendix I (History of Washington v. Reno)
PC-KY-0002-0005.pdf
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External Link
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Detail
Date: 08/01/1999
Memorandum Order
(1999 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 22485) (E.D. Ky.)
PC-KY-0002-0013.pdf
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LEXIS
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Detail
Date: 11/09/1999
Source: LexisNexis
People
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Judges
Batchelder, Alice Moore
(N.D. Ohio, Sixth Circuit)
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PC-KY-0002-0008
Daughtrey, Martha Craig
(Sixth Circuit)
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PC-KY-0002-0008
Patterson, Peggy E.
(E.D. Ky.) [Magistrate]
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PC-KY-0002-9001
Suhrheinrich, Richard Fred
(E.D. Mich., Sixth Circuit)
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PC-KY-0002-0008
Wilhoit, Henry Rupert Jr.
(E.D. Ky.)
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PC-KY-0002-0003 | PC-KY-0002-0007 | PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-0010 | PC-KY-0002-0011 | PC-KY-0002-0012 | PC-KY-0002-0013 | PC-KY-0002-9000 | PC-KY-0002-9001
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Humphreys, Gene L.
(Kentucky)
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PC-KY-0002-0004 | PC-KY-0002-0006 | PC-KY-0002-0008
McSwain, Douglas L.
(Kentucky)
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PC-KY-0002-0002 | PC-KY-0002-0004 | PC-KY-0002-0006 | PC-KY-0002-0008 | PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-0010 | PC-KY-0002-0011 | PC-KY-0002-0012 | PC-KY-0002-0013 | PC-KY-0002-9000 | PC-KY-0002-9001
Sturgill, Ann D.
(Kentucky)
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PC-KY-0002-0004 | PC-KY-0002-0006 | PC-KY-0002-0008
Defendant's Lawyers
Azar, Henry A. Jr.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-9001
Bunning, David L.
(Kentucky)
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PC-KY-0002-0008 | PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-0010 | PC-KY-0002-0011 | PC-KY-0002-0012 | PC-KY-0002-0013 | PC-KY-0002-9000 | PC-KY-0002-9001
Clair, Jeffrey
(District of Columbia)
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PC-KY-0002-0008 | PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-0010 | PC-KY-0002-0011 | PC-KY-0002-0012 | PC-KY-0002-0013 | PC-KY-0002-9001
Daly, John F.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-KY-0002-0008
Garvey, Vincent M.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-KY-0002-0004 | PC-KY-0002-0006 | PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-0010 | PC-KY-0002-0011 | PC-KY-0002-0012 | PC-KY-0002-0013 | PC-KY-0002-9001
Gomez, Raphael O.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-KY-0002-0004 | PC-KY-0002-0006 | PC-KY-0002-0008 | PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-0010 | PC-KY-0002-0011 | PC-KY-0002-0012 | PC-KY-0002-0013 | PC-KY-0002-9001
Herwig, Barbara L.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-KY-0002-0008
Moriarty, Kathleen E.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-KY-0002-0004 | PC-KY-0002-0006 | PC-KY-0002-0009 | PC-KY-0002-0010 | PC-KY-0002-0011 | PC-KY-0002-0012 | PC-KY-0002-0013 | PC-KY-0002-9001
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