ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – The U.S. Department of Justice is getting involved in a lawsuit to reiterate it’s prison officials’ duty to protect those behind bars.
This comes after a ten-year-old lawsuit alleges that violence and sexual assault are common place at St. Clair Correctional Facility. Filed all the way back in October of 2014, the nine plaintiffs involved were all inside the prison at the time. They allege the prison suffers from mismanagement, overcrowding, and inadequate security, including broken cell door locks. They claim it all has led to a high homicide rate, weekly stabbings and sexual assaults.
Because of the extreme nature of the claims in the lawsuit, the DOJ filed a Statement of Interest last week. It’s meant to uphold the constitution and clarify how to interpret the Eighth Amendment, which the plaintiffs claimed was violated.
A press release reports the statement explains under the Eighth Amendment prison officials must respond reasonably when they know people in their custody face a substantial risk of serious harm. That includes harm from others in the prison.
“The Constitution requires prison officials to take reasonable steps to protect the people in their custody,” says Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “We must not allow violence and sexual abuse to run rampant in our prisons and jails. We are committed to securing the constitutional rights of all people, including those who are incarcerated.”
“People do not lose their constitutional rights behind prison walls,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “Our office remains committed to ensuring constitutional conditions, including reasonable safety, within Alabama’s prisons.”
Statements of Interest are key tools in civil rights cases. They’ve been used in past cases involving police brutality and homelessness.
Our sister station reached out to the Department of Corrections for a statement but have not heard back yet.
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