Topete v. County of San Bernardino

In February 2016, the Prison Law Office filed a federal class action lawsuit about conditions in the San Bernardino County Jails, challenging the County’s use of solitary confinement, use of force, denial of adequate medical and mental health care, and failure to provide disability accommodations. In December 2018, the Court approved a Consent Decree designed to improve conditions in the jails over the next four years. At the end of those four years, the Prison Law Office negotiated with the County to extend the case to ensure additional reforms were made. In September 2023, following extensive negotiations, the Court approved a Revised Consent Decree, with additional monitoring to be conducted by court-appointed experts and the Prison Law Office. Under the terms of the Revised Consent Decree, the case is set to end in July 2025, or when the County has proven to monitors that it has sustained compliance with reforms for a continuous year.