This case was filed by three people incarcerated in the Contra Costa County jails on behalf of all people incarcerated in the jails, includes allegations that the medical and mental health care provided by the County does not meet the minimum standards required by the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  The Complaint also alleges that the jails do not meet the standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in that people with disabilities who are incarcerated in the jails do not have equal access to the programs, services and activities provided by the County.  The County has denied the allegations, but on October 1, 2020, agreed to a court enforced Consent Decree and remedial plan that will improve medical and mental health services.  Negotiations about a plan for disability access will occur in the near future.

The settlement in Young v. County of Contra Costa is the product of several years of negotiations that was guided by the detailed reports of four nationally recognized correctional experts who conducted assessments of the County’s jail system.

Other reforms urged by the Prison Law Office have been implemented at the County’s jails, such as a reduction in the use of solitary confinement, increased privacy during the booking process, a classification system that is based on behavior rather than criminal charges, and modifications to units housing patients with mental illness.

Under the settlement agreement, the Prison Law Office, as class counsel, and designated court-appointed experts will monitor implementation of the remedial measures.

The proposed settlement—embodied in a Consent Decree—remains subject to approval by the federal court.