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Case Name
Reynolds v. Sielaff
PC-NY-0045
Docket / Court
1:81-cv-00107-PNL ( S.D.N.Y. )
State/Territory
New York
Case Type(s)
Disability Rights-Pub. Accom.
Jail Conditions
Attorney Organization
Legal Services/Legal Aid
Case Summary
On January 9, 1981, pretrial detainees confined in the medical and psychiatric wards operated by the New York City Department of Corrections (DOC) filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. §1983 against the DOC in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs ...
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On January 9, 1981, pretrial detainees confined in the medical and psychiatric wards operated by the New York City Department of Corrections (DOC) filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. §1983 against the DOC in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs asked the Court for declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging that their constitutional rights had been violated by inadequate fire safety, poor mental health care, and generally inhumane conditions of confinement.
On October 1, 1990, the District Court (Judge Pierre N. Leval) entered a Consent Decree. The Decree provided for changes in the areas of classification, physical facilities, mental health care, fire safety, emergency medical care, population levels, recreation, physical therapy, exercise, staffing, physical restraints, segregation, administration of medication, record keeping, personal property storage, grievance procedures, law library access, reading materials, mail, religious services, telephone privileges, and visitation procedures.
Defendants moved to terminate the Stipulation and Order in 2008, pursuant to the 1996 Prison Litigation Reform Act, 18 U.S.C. §3636(b). The court denied that motion and allowed Plaintiffs time to pursue discovery related to the motion. After a couple of years of settlement negotiations, the parties entered into a new Stipulation and Order of Settlement on November 23, 2010. The new settlement agreement terminated the previous agreement and was set to expire after 30 months. The agreement covered mental health treatment services, admission and discharge, training and supervision, role of DOC staff, outposted inmate-patients, monitoring, and dispute resolution. On May 28, 2013, the court partially extended the 2010 Stipulation by six months. The court retained jurisdiction during the six-month extension period, and terminated its jurisdiction after the time period ended. The case is now closed.
Elizabeth Daligga - 07/23/2012
Elizabeth Heise - 11/17/2018
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Constitutional Clause
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Content of Injunction
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Discrimination Prohibition
Goals (e.g., for hiring, admissions)
Hire
Monitoring
Training
Crowding
Crowding / caseload
Defendant-type
Corrections
Disability
Mental impairment
Discrimination-basis
Disability (inc. reasonable accommodations)
General
Administrative segregation
Classification / placement
Disciplinary procedures
Fire safety
Informed consent/involuntary medication
Law library access
Loss or damage to property
Mail
Phone
Recreation / Exercise
Rehabilitation
Religious programs / policies
Restraints : chemical
Restraints : physical
Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)
Totality of conditions
Medical/Mental Health
Medical care, general
Mental health care, general
Plaintiff Type
Private Plaintiff
Type of Facility
Government-run
Causes of Action
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
Bellevue Hospital
Department of Correction of the City of New York
Elmhurst Hospital
Plaintiff Description
Pretrial detainees confined in the jail medical and psychiatric wards operated by the New York City Department of Corrections.
Indexed Lawyer Organizations
Legal Services/Legal Aid
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
Yes
Filed Pro Se
Unknown
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
1990 - 2013
Filed
01/09/1981
Case Closing Year
2013
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
S.D.N.Y.
05/28/2013
81-107
PC-NY-0045-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
S.D.N.Y.
10/01/1990
Stipulation and Order of Settlement
PC-NY-0045-0001.pdf
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Detail
S.D.N.Y.
10/01/1990
Order and Consent Judgment Approving Class Action Settlement
PC-NY-0045-0002.pdf
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Detail
S.D.N.Y.
11/23/2010
Stipulation and Order of Settlement [ECF# 154]
PC-NY-0045-0003.pdf
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Detail
S.D.N.Y.
05/28/2013
Partial Extension of Stipulation and Order of Settlement [ECF# 155]
PC-NY-0045-0004.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
People
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Judges
Leval, Pierre Nelson
(S.D.N.Y., Second Circuit)
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PC-NY-0045-0002 | PC-NY-0045-9000
Sullivan, Richard Joseph
(S.D.N.Y., Second Circuit)
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PC-NY-0045-0003 | PC-NY-0045-0004
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Chasan, Jonathan S.
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0001 | PC-NY-0045-0002 | PC-NY-0045-0003 | PC-NY-0045-0004
Frackman, Andrew J.
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0003
Katz, Theodore H.
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0001
Lewis, Dori A.
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0001 | PC-NY-0045-0004
Weinstein, Philip L.
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0001 | PC-NY-0045-0002
Defendant's Lawyers
Buhta, John Michael
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0004
Cardozo, Michael A.
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0004
Gantz, Toni
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0003
Kovner, Victor A.
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0001 | PC-NY-0045-0002
Pestana, Georgia
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0002
Trachtenberg, Robert
(New York)
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PC-NY-0045-0001 | PC-NY-0045-0002
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