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New York Employees Families Settle Attica Riot Claims for $12 Million

The State of New York has reached a $12 million settlement with the Forgotten Victims of Attica, a group of surviving state employees and relatives of 11 guards killed during the 1971 uprising at the Attica Correctional Facility.

Under a proposal by Governor George E. Pataki, the Forgotten Victims of ...

Illinois Jail Conditions Suit Nets $150,000 Attorney Fee Award

An Illinois Federal District Court has awarded attorneys representing prisoners at the Winnebago County Jail (WCJ) $150,000 in attorney fees and costs. This class action suit alleged the conditions at WCJ were unconstitutionally deficient in numerous respects.

The suit alleged system-wide problems of overcrowding, double and triple bunking of prisoner's, ...

$99,981 In Fees Awarded For Successful Massachusetts Court Access Suit

In a strongly worded opinion chastising Massachusetts officials for over 1itigating a case in which a prisoner's constitutional right of access to courts was clearly violated, a federal district court awarded attorneys' fees and costs of $99,981 to the plaintiff. Plaintiff's counsel, a commercial law firm, had volunteered to represent ...

California Prison Employee Paid $500,000 To Settle Whistleblower Retaliation Suit

The California Department of Cor¬rections (CDC) settled an employee whistleblower retaliation suit for $500,000 in October, 2004. CDC admitted it had additionally spent $300,000 in legal fees fighting the claim.

Richard Krupp, formerly the chief of CDC’s Personnel Automation Section, after being rebuffed by his supervisors on his plan to ...

Washington DOC Settles Contempt Action For $500,000; Money To Fund Patient Advocate

The Washington Department of Corrections has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a contempt action stemming from alleged violations of a consent decree governing medical care at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW). Pending approval by the court, roughly half of the money will be used to pay attorneys' ...

Suit Over Rape of Prisoner By TDCJ Employee Settled for $118,318.56 and Beach Property

By Matthew T. Clarke

On November 19, 2004, a Texas prisoner who was raped by a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) guard settled his suit against the guard and TDCJ for a total of $118,318.56 and the guard’s beach property.

Nathan Essary, 22, a Texas state prisoner of slight ...

Colorado Teenagers Raped By Guards Settle For $165,000 Each

In August 2004, two teenage girls raped by guards at a Colorado juvenile prison settled their lawsuits for $165,000 apiece. Both girls had been imprisoned at the Youthful Offender System (YOS), which is operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections. Their lawsuits were identical and involved the same defendants. The ...

$12,003.74 in Fees/Costs Awarded in Excessive Force Use; PLRA Fee Cap Inapplicable to Stipulated Set

$12,003.74 in Fees/Costs Awarded in Excessive Force Use; PLRA Fee Cap Inapplicable to Stipulated Settlements


A federal court in New York awarded attorneys' fees of $10,858 and costs of $1,144.95 for a total of $12,003.74 against a guard in an excessive force case.

New York prisoners Lorenzo Romaine brought suit ...

$40,000 To Settle Excessive Force Claim At Los Angeles County Jail

In September, 2004, the Los Angeles County Claims Board (Board) agreed
to pay $40,000 to settle an excessive force claim brought by a prisoner injured at the L.A. County Main Jail.

On March 17, 2002, prisoner Joseph Amezola was protectively housed in the 2500 Module of the Main Jail because ...

New York Jail Settles Strip-Search Suit For $2.7 Million

On March 10, 2004, the parties involved in a class action lawsuit over unlawful strip-searches performed during intake at the Rensselaer County (New York) Jail agreed to settle the case for $2.7 million.

On various occasions between June 26, 1999 and July 1, 2002, the 11 named plaintiffs in this ...