In September of 1978, two inmates of the Maryland Correctional Institution (MCI) in Hagerstown, Maryland, filed a pro se lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. §1983 against the Maryland Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The plaintiffs asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging that the conditions of their confinement violated their constitutional rights. Specifically, they complained of overcrowding, inadequate medical conditions, and inadequate food service.

A few months later, the court (Judge Roszel Cathcart Thomsen) appointed counsel for the plaintiffs, and the new counsel asked the court to certify the case as a class action on behalf of all inmates at the prison. The defendants did not object, and the court granted class certification.

On September 21, 1979, the parties entered into a Consent Decree, which was adopted by the court on November 14, 1979. Washington v. Keller, 479 F.Supp. 569 (D.Md. 1979). The Consent Decree provided for improvement of the housing areas, lowering of population levels, limiting double-bunking of inmates, programming, staffing levels, and services of the prison. We have no further information on the proceedings in this case.

Kristen Sagar - 02/14/2007


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