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Case Name
Williams & U.S. v. Lynn
PC-LA-0006
Docket / Court
92-001 ( M.D. La. )
State/Territory
Louisiana
Case Type(s)
Prison Conditions
Case Summary
On August 8, 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated an investigation into the conditions of confinement at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997. On May 13, 1991, the DOJ ...
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On August 8, 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated an investigation into the conditions of confinement at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997. On May 13, 1991, the DOJ issued a findings letter to the Governor of Louisiana, detailing the following allegedly unconstitutional conditions at the prison: failure to provide adequate medical and mental health care, failure to provide a safe environment, segregation of inmates by race in cell assignments, and arbitrary and excessive use of extended lockdown.
On January 2, 1992, inmates at the prison filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the Louisiana Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. The plaintiffs alleged that their constitutional rights had been violated by the conditions of their confinement. On July 22, 1994, the U.S. Department of Justice asked the court to allow them to intervene under CRIPA. On September 8, 1994, the district court (Judge Frank J. Polozola) granted the DOJ's request to intervene as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
On September 24, 1998, the district court (Judge Polozola) approved a settlement agreement between the parties. We do not have a copy of the settlement agreement so do not have details on its precise terms. On March 26, 1999, pursuant to a joint motion by all parties, the district court closed the case.
Kristen Sagar - 09/10/2006
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
General
Administrative segregation
Assault/abuse by residents/inmates/students
Racial segregation
Medical/Mental Health
Medical care, general
Mental health care, general
Type of Facility
Government-run
Causes of Action
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
Louisiana
Plaintiff Description
inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
Yes
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
No
Nature of Relief
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
1998 - n/a
Filed
01/02/1992
Case Closing Year
1999
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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An Analysis of CRIPA Findings Letters Issued to Jails for Constitutional Violations by the Department of Justice
Date: Apr. 15, 2016
By: Jeff Mellow, Bryce E. Peterson & Mijin Kim (John Jay College of Criminal Justice Faculty)
Citation: Am. J. Crim. Just. (April 2016)
[ Detail ]
[ External Link ]
Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
M.D. La.
09/28/2001
92-001
PC-LA-0006-9000.pdf
|
Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
not recorded
05/13/1991
Findings Letter re: CRIPA Investigation of Louisiana State Penitenciary at Angola
PC-LA-0006-0001.pdf
|
Detail
M.D. La.
07/21/1994
Motion to Invervene
PC-LA-0006-0002.pdf
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Detail
M.D. La.
07/21/1994
Memorandum in Support of United States' Motion to Invervene as Plaintiff
PC-LA-0006-0003.pdf
|
Detail
People
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Judges
Polozola, Frank Joseph
(M.D. La.)
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PC-LA-0006-9000
Riedlinger, Stephen C.
(M.D. La.)
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PC-LA-0006-9000
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Bowman, Robert C.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-LA-0006-0002 | PC-LA-0006-0003
Dunne, John R.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-LA-0006-0001
Hymel, L. J. Jr.
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-0002 | PC-LA-0006-0003 | PC-LA-0006-9000
Jackson, Brian Anthony
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-9000
Maddox, William G.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-LA-0006-0002 | PC-LA-0006-0003
Nordyke, Keith B
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-9000
Patrick, Deval L.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-LA-0006-0002 | PC-LA-0006-0003
Peabody, Arthur E. Jr.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-LA-0006-0002 | PC-LA-0006-0003
Reno, Janet
(District of Columbia)
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PC-LA-0006-0002 | PC-LA-0006-0003
Schoen, Benjamin P.
(District of Columbia)
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PC-LA-0006-0002 | PC-LA-0006-0003
Defendant's Lawyers
Curry, Richard A.
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-9000
Gascon, Houston Charles III
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-9000
Guste, William J. Jr.
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-0001
Lamonica, P. Raymond
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-0001
Rieger, Shannon Sweeny
(Louisiana)
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PC-LA-0006-9000
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