Santa Rita jail inmate conditions lawsuit settled

An Alameda County jail will make significant changes to how it administers mental health care over the next two years, under a proposed settlement the county reached with a class of inmates Thursday.

If approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins in San Jose, the settlement would require the Santa Rita Jail to limit the use and duration of restrictive housing for inmates; significantly increase the amount of out-of-cell time inmates are allowed; make sure inmates have adequate access to mental health care; develop suicide and harm prevention measures; and create a venue for inmates to raise concerns and complaints about their living conditions.

The jail would also have to develop policies that limit uses of force and restraint devices. The plaintiffs, represented by attorneys at Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP, did not seek money damages. Babu et al. v. Ahern et al., 5:18-cv-07677-NC (N.D. Cal., filed December 21, 2018).

The settlement will be in effect for six years.

Attorneys at Burke, Williams & Sorensen LLP and Hanson Bridgett LLP represented the county.

The settlement "was the product of a cooperative process with lawyers from Rosen Bien working closely with lawyers representing the sheriff and the county," said Jeffrey Bornstein, a partner at the firm. "The hope is that the cooperative foundation we have built with the county's lawyers will bring about the cultural change necessary to end the use of punitive measures such as isolation and lack of out of cell time and to ensure that there are vigorous mental health care, educational and other treatment program opportunities throughout the jail."

The plaintiffs amended their complaint last year to include allegations about the jail's COVID-19 policies.