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Lake County settles class-action lawsuit brought because of jail conditions – Daily Montanan [1]

['Darrell Ehrlick', 'More From Author', '- November']

Date: 2023-11-27  

Lake County has settled a class-action lawsuit in which county jail inmates said they were subjected to overcrowded conditions, often without any opportunity for physical exercise or fresh air, and Indigenous prisoners saw Christian pastors, but were denied Native American religious leaders.

In a settlement between the class-action group and Lake County, the county agreed to build additional recreation space, housing units and give access to Native American religious leaders. As part of the settlement, the county did not admit fault or liability, but paid more than $189,000 in attorneys’ fees.

The federal court approved the settlement agreement Monday. Attorneys Constance Van Kley with Upper Seven Law Firm and Timothy Bechtold of Bechtold Law Firm represented the class-action litigants, which were largely comprised of former county inmates.

As part of the agreement, Lake County “will construct a secure outdoor recreation area of approximately 1,500 square feet of space” for use by its inmates. Construction for that will be completed within a year.

Lake County also agreed to build additional inmate housing units, totaling 960 square feet of space. The agreement said the additional inmate housing would be completed within three years. The county also agreed to let Van Kley and Bechtold “inspect, comment on, and offer reasonable design alternatives” for both the outdoor and additional living space.

Attorneys for the group of inmates praised the agreement.

“The changes agreed to will reduce overcrowding and give inmates daily access to the outdoors for exercise,” they said in a press release.

The county said it will also continue to allow Native American inmates access to spiritual leaders from the Indigenous community. Inmates had claimed in court documents that a Christian pastor had regularly visited, but a similar courtesy was denied to other religious leaders.

“This agreement is a victory for inmates at the Lake County Jail and for the entire community,” said Van Kley. “No one should be forced to live without sunlight, fresh air and the opportunity to exercise. Today marks a significant step toward a more humane Lake County Jail.”

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[1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2023/11/27/lake-county-settles-class-action-lawsuit-brought-because-of-jail-conditions/

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