Prisons and Jails 

Documents and pleadings which may be helpful to attorneys litigating or considering the litigation of disability law related cases are available by following the links below.

These documents do not constitute legal advice. Anyone engaged in legal action should consult with an attorney. Attorneys should make their own independent judgments. Local laws vary and the law may have changed since these documents were written. Litigants should fully research any claims or defenses before making them.

 

	Sort By: Title		Date
	A guide to litigation under the ADA in prisons and jails		1/23/2000
		This guide provides references and citations to ADA cases challenging conditions in prisons and jails.
	Annotated list of cases involving prisoners with mobility impairments		2/1/2001
	Forgotten Lives: Mentally Disordered Prisoners in Massachusetts		11/1/1997
		An article from MHLAC’s Advisor on the state of people with mental disabilities in Massachusetts prisons and jails
	Medication Rights in Prisons		1/1/2000
		An analysis of a prisoner’s legal rights regarding psychiatric medications.
	Prison mental health case list 2005		5/6/2020
		An extensive, though selective, annotated list of court decisions in case challenging mental health services in prisons and jails. Updated last in May 2005.
	Restraint and isolation in prisons and juvenile facilities		4/10/2006
		A review of the legal rules regarding the use of restraint, segregation, and isolation on people with mental illness in jails, prisons and juvenile detention facilities, with a summary of cases.
	Summary of professional standards for MH services in prisons		9/1/1997
		A lengthy and comprehensive review of accreditations standards for MH services in prisons
	TASC/NAPAS FACT SHEET - CHALLENGES TO INADEQUATE TREATMENT, MANDATORY TESTING, AND SEGREGATION OF INMATES WITH HIV/AIDS		6/1/2004
		A survey of litigation involving the rigts of adult and juvenile prisoners and detainees with HIV/AIDS.
	The ADA and parole decisions		6/1/1999
		A discussion of the extent to which the ADA may be helpful to prisoners in parole decisions.
	The Legal Rights of Prisoners with Mental Disorders		2/1/1999
		An overview of the rights of prisoners with mental disabilities.

CPR and the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services have sued the Michigan Department of Correction alleging that young prisoners (ages 14 to 26) have been denied necessary mental health and special education services and have been illegally segregated in violation of their 8th amendment rights. The case originally targeted the Michigan Youth Correction Facility, a private high security prison for youth convicted as adults. The facility was closed by the Governor shortly after the complaint was filed and the prisoners were moved to other prisons. An amended complaint was filed and is attached here.