Filed Date: June 27, 1985
Closed Date: 1991
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On June 27, 1985, individuals jailed at the Brooklyn House of Detention filed a class action lawsuit against New York City and jail personnel in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The plaintiffs, represented by the Legal Aid Society Prisoners' Rights Project, sought compensatory and punitive damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging injuries sustained during beatings by guards.
On October 21, 1991, the parties signed a settlement agreement, which appears to have been negotiated by a Magistrate (Judge John L. Caden). The consent decree was negotiated within the terms of an injunction issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Fisher v. Koehler, 692 F. Supp. 1519 (S.D.N.Y. 1988), injunction entered, 718 F. Supp. 1111 (S.D.N.Y. 1989), aff'd, 902 F.2d 2 (2d Cir. 1990).
Under the terms of the consent decree, the Brooklyn House of Detention agreed to take specific steps to reduce and eliminate uses of force by guards To reduce incidences of guard brutality, the city agreed to provide new and existing guards with extensive training on values, interpersonal skills, and inappropriate types of force (e.g., kicking and using keys as a weapon). The jail also agreed to implement investigation training and procedures, monitor guard behavior with video surveillance, and dismiss any personnel who were either convicted of or pled no contest to charges of excessive force. The consent decree would be in effect until at least July 1, 1995, when the defendants could petition the court to modify or terminate the decree.
On October 25, 1991, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York ordered that class members be notified of the proposed settlement. On November 26, 1991, the court (Judge Arthur D. Spatt) held a hearing on the settlement and approved the consent decree. The case was closed on November 26, 1991. From what we have in the file, it does not appear that New York ever sought to terminate or modify the consent decree.
Summary Authors
Elizabeth Chilcoat (6/21/2006)
Caden, John L. (New York)
Spatt, Arthur Donald (New York)
Beck, John A. (New York)
Chasan, Jonathan S. (New York)
D'Orazio, Vincent (New York)
Caden, John L. (New York)
Spatt, Arthur Donald (New York)
Last updated March 27, 2024, 3:08 a.m.
State / Territory: New York
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 27, 1985
Closing Date: 1991
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Current and future inmates of the Brooklyn House of Detention.
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Brooklyn House of Detention, City
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1988 - 0
Issues
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)
Type of Facility: