Cuyahoga County Jail Lawsuit
The Cuyahoga County Jail is the site of innumerable human rights violations. We are fighting to end the abuse of prisoners in County custody.
Background
Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein lawyers Sarah Gelsomino, Jacqueline Greene, and Terry Gilbert are litigating an ongoing lawsuit against Cuyahoga County, Armond Budish, and other County officials responsible for the operation of the Cuyahoga County Jail. The lawsuit aims to address a multitude of constitutional rights violations suffered by people in the custody of the County Jail. The case, filed in federal court, seeks judicial intervention and independent oversight for the implementation of comprehensive remedies to eliminate the deplorable conditions inmates have endured and continue to endure while in County custody.
These inhumane conditions were exposed in a report detailing an inspection and audit conducted by the US Marshal Service. This report and personal accounts of prisoners named in the Complaint provide a stark and shocking picture of the dangerous conditions and appalling deprivations which have caused and will continue to cause serious injuries, medical emergencies, and even death. Many people have died in the County Jail in the past couple years, and countless others have suffered both physical and psychological consequences resulting from these inexcusable conditions.
Subpar conditions at the County Jail have been festering for years, flowing from incompetent supervision and management, and compounded by the growing influx of inmates unable to afford monetary bail, despite lower crime rates and the availability of other alternatives in monitoring pretrial detainees. The County’s failure to operate a constitutionally-adequate jail is also a historic problem: since 1975, federal courts have been required to intervene on at least three occasions to address unacceptable conditions in the County Jail.
Tell Your Story
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