In the largest ever prison class action lawsuit, prisoners alleged that California officials inflicted cruel and unusual punishment by being deliberately indifferent to serious medical needs. A settlement agreement filed in 2002 required the California Department of Corrections to completely overhaul its medical care policies and procedures, and to pump significant resources into the prisons to ensure timely access to adequate care. In 2005, the federal judge who oversees the case described medical treatment in the prisons as still “horrifying” and “shocking.” Subsequently, in October 2005, the judge ordered that California’s prison medical care system be placed under the control of a court-appointed Receiver. In March 2009, the federal judge issued an Order denying the State’s motion to terminate the appointment of the Receiver. The judge expressed a lack of confidence that the State would provide constitutionally-adequate medical care or maintain improvements made under the Receiver’s supervision. In April 2010, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court order and rejected California’s attempt to end judicial control of its prison health care system.

COVID-19 Litigation

On June 11, 2020, the Court ordered CDCR to test staff for COVID-19 at three prisons, and to produce a comprehensive plan for testing all staff. On July 22, 2020, Judge Tigar ordered CDCR to set aside isolation and quarantine space at each prison.

The Plata court also holds regular status hearings to review CDCR’s actions related to COVID-19.  During a hearing on July 2, 2020, Judge Tigar provided details regarding his tour of two state prisons, warning that he saw people “living on top of each other,” and that “living conditions have become unimaginable.” You can watch Plata status hearings online.  For more information, please click here.

For select court filings, please click here.