The Court Expert in Armstrong v. Newsom, a class action lawsuit regarding disability accommodations in the California state prison system, released his report and recommendations following a year-long investigation of the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran (SATF). He found that people with disabilities are “living diminished and needlessly difficult lives” at SATF, and as a result “face harsher prison conditions, and thus greater punishment, than their peers.” People were denied accommodations needed to safely and independently perform a wide array of activities, including to eat, perform bodily functions, write, and participate in rehabilitative programs.

The Court Expert found that “it was not management that identified these problems; it was Plaintiffs’ counsel.” The Court Expert observed that “much at SATF has to change” and that “SATF has not demonstrated that it is able to self-monitor and self-correct in the manner that would justify a lesser level of scrutiny by the Court and other outside monitors. Self-correction has to be the goal, and our investigation showed it is a long way off.”

The Court has set a briefing schedule for the parties to respond to the Court Expert’s report.

The Court Expert’s report is available here.