Case: DOJ Investigation: Baltimore City Detention Center ("BCDC")

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Case Summary

On October 16, 2000, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated an investigation into the conditions of confinement at the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC), pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, 42 U.S.C. § 14141. As part of its investigation, the DOJ conducted on-site inspections of the facility with expert consultants; interviewed correctional and adm…

On October 16, 2000, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated an investigation into the conditions of confinement at the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC), pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, 42 U.S.C. § 14141. As part of its investigation, the DOJ conducted on-site inspections of the facility with expert consultants; interviewed correctional and administrative staff, inmates, medical and mental health care providers, and fire safety, food service and sanitation personnel; and reviewed BCDC's policies and procedures, incident reports, medical and mental health records, inmate grievances, use of force records, and investigative reports.

On August 13, 2002, the DOJ issued a findings letter which concluded that certain conditions at BCDC violated the constitutional rights of prisoners at the facility. Specifically, the DOJ found that BCDC was deliberately indifferent to prisoners' medical and mental health needs, prisoners suffered harm from deficiencies in the facility's fire safety protections and sanitation, and juveniles detained at the facility were not kept safe from adult inmates. In addition, the DOJ found that BCDC violated eligible prisoners' rights to education. The DOJ articulated a series of remedies for BCDC to implement to correct the above unconstitutional practices. In 2003, the State of Maryland and BCDC voluntarily initiated a commitment to change the environment at the facility.

In 2005, the DOJ again toured BCDC to review the progress made. On January 16, 2007, the parties entered a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that outlined specific reforms and improvements to be made to remedy the above constitutional violations. The MOA provided that DOJ and its experts would conduct periodic monitoring to ensure compliance with the terms of the Agreement. The MOA was set to terminate four years after its effective date.

In April 2012, because BCDC had not yet achieved substantial compliance with several provisions of the Agreement, the parties agreed to enter into an Extension of the MOA. In the Extension, the parties removed those provisions with which the DOJ acknowledged the state had achieved substantial compliance and maintained the other provisions from the original Agreement. The Extension was set to terminate two years after its execution date. According to the DOJ's website, it is continuing to monitor conditions at BCDC as of the date of this summary.

Summary Authors

Dan Dalton (2/11/2008)

Nate West (11/14/2014)

People


Attorney for Plaintiff

Abbate, Julie K. (District of Columbia)

Austin, Roy L. (District of Columbia)

Cheng, Christopher N. (District of Columbia)

Curran, John Joseph Jr. (Maryland)

Attorney for Defendant
Expert/Monitor/Master/Other

Boyd, Ralph F. Jr. (District of Columbia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

Findings Letter

Aug. 13, 2002

Aug. 13, 2002

Findings Letter/Report

Memorandum of Agreement

Jan. 1, 2007

Jan. 1, 2007

Settlement Agreement

Case Summary

Nov. 14, 2014

Nov. 14, 2014

Other

Re: Baltimore City Detention Center

Feb. 19, 2015

Feb. 19, 2015

Findings Letter/Report

Extension of the Memorandum of Agreement Between the Department of Justice and the State of Maryland Regarding the Baltimore City Detention Center

None

None

Settlement Agreement

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 2:31 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Maryland

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Key Dates

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

Plaintiff Type(s):

U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

State of Maryland, State

Defendant Type(s):

Corrections

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.

Indv. w/ Disab. Educ. Act (IDEA), Educ. of All Handcpd. Children Act , 20 U.S.C. § 1400

Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act), 29 U.S.C. § 701

Special Case Type(s):

Out-of-court

Available Documents:

None of the above

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Private Settlement Agreement

Order Duration: 2007 - 2014

Content of Injunction:

Reporting

Recordkeeping

Auditing

Monitoring

Issues

General:

Classification / placement

Conditions of confinement

Education

Fire safety

Food service / nutrition / hydration

Juveniles

Recreation / Exercise

Sanitation / living conditions

Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)

Suicide prevention

Totality of conditions

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Sexual abuse by residents/inmates

Youth / Adult separation

Assault/abuse by non-staff (facilities)

Disability and Disability Rights:

Special education

Affected Sex or Gender:

Female

Male

Medical/Mental Health:

Medical care, general

Medication, administration of

Mental health care, general

Suicide prevention

Type of Facility:

Government-run