Inmate Services transportation $625K class action settlement

Update:

• The court granted this settlement final approval on Sept. 30, 2023.

• Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Settlements & Payouts Facebook group.

Inmate Services agreed to a $625,000 class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it subjected inmates to brutal conditions during transportation.

The settlement benefits individuals who were transported by Inmate Services after Feb. 11, 2016, whose entire trip or any leg of the trip exceeded 24 continuous hours. 

A class action lawsuit against Inmate Services claims that the company routinely transports prisoners and pre-trial detainees in “cruel and unusual” conditions. Transport allegedly lasted days and involved sitting on crowded metal benches while manacled and denied inmates of sleep, food, water and access to bathrooms.

Inmate Services is a prisoner transport company that transports prisoners and detainees by ground or air.

Inmate Services hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to a $625,000 settlement to resolve the class action lawsuit.

Under the terms of the settlement, class members can receive a cash payment based on the amount of time they were transported for. Settlement payments will be distributed as follows:

• 24 to 48 hours of transport: $250
• 48 to 72 hours of transport: $450
• 72 to 96 hours of transport: $900
• 96 to 120 hours of transport: $1,400
• 120 to 144 hours of transport: $2,500
• 144 or more hours of transport: $4,000

The deadline for exclusion and objection is June 30, 2023.

The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2023.

The deadline to file a claim with the settlement is June 30, 2023. Claims may be submitted through the mail.

Who’s Eligible

Individuals who were transported by Inmate Services after Feb. 11, 2016, whose entire trip or any leg of the trip exceeded 24 continuous hours

Potential Award

$4,000

Proof of Purchase

N/A

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

06/30/2023

Case Name

Stearns, et al. v. Inmate Services Corp., et al., Case No. 3:19-cv-00100-KGB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas

Final Hearing

08/04/2023

Settlement Website

InmateTransportSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Inmate Transport Settlement Administrator
c/o Rust Consulting, Inc. – 7530
PO Box 2599
Faribault MN 55021-9599

Class Counsel

Mark E Merin
LAW OFFICE OF MARK E MERIN

Defense Counsel

Mark Mayfield
WOMACK PHELPS PURYEAR MAYFIELD & MCNEIL PA