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Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $53 million to resolve claims that their county jail violated constitutional rights by conducting degrading strip searches.
The settlement will resolve claims from thousands of inmates such as Jessica Almaraz who claims that inmates were subject to unnecessary strip searches.
Almaraz, who was incarcerated at the Sheriff Department’s Century Regional Detention Facility several years ago, says she was subject to a strip search as soon as she reached the facility. She was allegedly strip searched a total of five times during the few weeks she spent in the jail.
Many of the strip searches at the facility were reportedly conducted in groups. Women were allegedly told to take off their clothes and spread themselves in the presence of other inmates. All the while, deputies reportedly yelled profanities and degrading comments and laughed at the women while they were forced to strip.
“They wanted to make us feel powerless,” Almaraz told the Los Angeles Times. “Whatever they said went, even if it meant making you feel like you’re not human.”
A class action lawsuit against the county claimed that the strip searches violated inmates’ 4th Amendment rights. Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $53 million to settle these claims in the largest settlement payout in county history.
The settlement will benefit around 93,000 female inmates who were incarcerated at the Sheriff Department’s Century Regional Detention Facility between March 2008 and January 2015.
If the U.S. District Court centered in Los Angeles grants preliminary approval of the settlement, a website will be established and more details regarding the claims and payment processes will become available.
In addition to paying millions of dollars, the county will spend $3 million to pay two consultants to review the jail’s policies and make recommendations for future changes. The goal of these consultants will be to address the struggles women face at the facility.
“The County is profoundly concerned about the practices that gave rise to this lawsuit, and is committed to making sure that reforms instituted by the Sheriff’s Department since 2016 will continue to build a culture that prioritizes safety, dignity and respect for inmates and staff,” Los Angeles County said in a statement.
Strip searches reportedly went out of practice at the Sheriff’s Department in April 2016. Instead, 98 percent of female inmates are searched using body scanners. The other two percent who are still searched using strip searches reportedly reflects women who are pregnant or who choose to have a strip search rather than a body scan.
According to the county, the settlement is a “significant resolution of a deeply troubling period” that they hope to move past. Although the county does not admit any wrongdoing, they have said that they are committed to reforming mass incarceration in Los Angeles County.
“We hope that this settlement will help bring healing and closure to the women affected by past practices, even as it underscores our determination to continue on the path of justice system reform,” the county’s statement reads.
Top Class Actions will post updates to this class action settlement as they become available. For the latest updates, keep checking TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter. You can also receive notifications when this article is updated by using your free Top Class Actions account and clicking the “Follow Article” button at the top of the post.
The inmates are represented by Barrett S. Litt and Lindsay Battles of Kaye McClane Bednarski & Litt, Donald Cook Attorney at Law, Colleen Flynn of the Law Office of Colleen Flynn, and Cynthia Anderson-Barker of the Law Offices of Cynthia Anderson-Barker.
The Lynwood Strip Search Class Action Lawsuit is Mary Amador, et al. v. Sheriff Leroy D. Baca, et al., Case No. 2:10-cv-01649-SVW-JEM, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
UPDATE: July 2019, the L.A. County jail strip search class action settlement website has been established.Click here to learn more.
UPDATE 2: December 2019, the Los Angeles women’s jail strip search class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.
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26 thoughts onL.A. County Will Pay $53M To Settle Degrading Strip Search Class Action
2022,2023,2024 the administrators which us woman were assigned to will break the 53million.between the remaining woman we will receive starting In January2022..what the amount is all depends on how many points each women had they add 200 dollars starting and they calculate. What the amount adds up to doesn’t mean that we get equal points they go by how many times every individual
I’m not dreedy
.I’ll be pleased whichever the Check will be..I’m just grateful!!
We are going to receive a check 3mo.out.hang tight ladies we got this
Has anyone got a check yet???? I don’t think we’ll be getting anything any time soon,,,
I didnt
I submitted a claim and got a claim number have checks been issued
Informed delivery shows I have a check in the mail for today.
YOU FID NOT RECEIVE A CHECK. NO ONE GOT A CHECK AND YOUR RAISING THESE WOMEN’S Hope.
Can you reissue all my checks cuz I never received not one reissue check
In 3.more month we got got um girl.
How much u think we gone get they said 3 installments checks for every body issued Jan 2022 2023 2024
Im apart of this settlement checks went out today 01/21/2022 along with papers explainimg part of the settlements Checks in the mail ladys
Have anybody had got the second payment yet for 2023
No I’ve not received check
I was there in 2009 and I was strip searched 5-6 times. Everyone seemed to be more violating than the prior ones. They would verbally and physically degrade me, instance, when I first arrived to the facility. I was on my menstrual cycle and was leaking through. When they escorted us to this outside cemented area that was very open and visible to other people, They had us face and told us to remove all clothing and place in front of us. I raised my hand and said excuse me in kinda of quite voice because I was embarrassed to remove my clothing as I knew I was bleeding heavy and leaking through. One of the officers looked at me and said, “inmate No talking just remove clothing as told.” I immediately stated, but I am bleeding! The officer then replied, “Inmate do as you’re told, I don’t care as she made a rude comment to the other officer.” The entire time both officers were making rude and degrading comments to all of us. I was now dripping blood! They told me to bend over, spread wide, and squat and cough as hard as possible. Please use your imagination as to what followed. Then she said, ” a little wider inmate”. I had a piercing, which I was instructed to remove and hold in front of everyone. They would have me put it in a bag for receiving later. I was bleeding heavily! I was not even given a clean sanitary napkin until later as well. Totally gross and physically degrading! The entire time making rude comments to one another regarding me and other inmates. It was so horrible! This was my first time ever being incarcerated and I thought this is how I will be treated for the next four years, as tears streamed down my face. One made a smirk laugh and said poor baby. Thankfully, my term in state prison was not like this. I truly thought that they kinda had a right to treat me like they did. Especially, when I was continually reminded by the officers that I have no rights, just do as you are told!
Thank you
Kimberly Carter
Everything you explain happened to me as well this is so sad knowing that humans can treat other people like that just because they have authority
So has anyone got settlement.
is there anyone we can talk to about when we should receive our money
You will get the run around, your hopes up and you have months to go until you get a check. It is first distributed to attorneys. Just a slap in the face for being raped in jail. Merry Christmas from LA GOUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT AND SHERIFF BACA. Read my lips ? FU! I hope all your children go through the same exact thing. Get your head out of your ass so your hands are free to sign 90,000 checks!
A claim should also be opened up for the women’s L.A. downtown Sybil Brand jail, CRC and CIW prisons. I am a former inmate and author who appeared as a Guest Star and Expert Panelist on numerous nationwide TV and radio talk shows on the mid 90’s.
In my autobiography “DEATH ROW MADAM: EXPOSING SEX AND DRUGS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY” I documented the abuse suffered at the hands of prison guards by myself and other inmates during my 1987-1989 incarceration and housing in “Death Row” amongst the Manson Murderers when I was framed for pandering, by simply arranging a blind date as a Hollywood Madam. No amount of money suffices for the humiliation, trauma, depression, and PTSD caused by this inhumanity inflicted upon human beings, many who were innocent victims of a corrupt legal system.
I was a victim as well and I was on my menstrual dripping blood how do I apply
I am/was a victim of these horrible strip searches, and spreading of vaginal lips then made to place the same fingers into my mouth and run my fingers along my gum line and mouth fro further search. we were search in groups of 20-50 at times with menstrual blood leaking from several women. we were constantly degraded during this process and if we became in-compliant were placed in the hole. we were made to stand naked in freezing temperatures, and so much more.
How could $200 dollars ever be enough. Every time I went to court and returned, going to medical, appointments, as well as random strip searches coming back from work duty.
I am a victim of the Lynnwood strip search and I would like to be a part of this class action
submit a claim on the website:
lynwoodstripsearch.com