Suffolk County in New York has agreed to pay $18 million to settle a legal dispute lasting 14 years, brought by a former inmate who claimed he endured filthy living conditions filled with mice and cockroaches for over a decade.
The class action lawsuit accused officials at Riverhead and Yaphank of ignoring these appalling circumstances. Now, it looks like taxpayers will face the financial consequences.
A contract, filed without much fanfare in court, ensures that payments go to individuals who were incarcerated in the county since 2009, with 20 former plaintiffs receiving $20,000 each. However, those incarcerated in new facilities in Yaphank since 2013 are not included in this settlement.
“This settlement provides much-needed relief to many incarcerated New Yorkers who have been subjected to inhumane and unconstitutional circumstances at the Suffolk County Jail,” stated Gabriella Larios, a lawyer for the New York Civil Liberties Union.
“It also signals the end of the county’s ongoing indifference toward this manufactured crisis,” she added.
The settlement demands that Suffolk County make significant reforms to improve living conditions in its two prison facilities.
As part of the agreement, the county will be required to employ staff focusing on environmental health issues at both facilities for at least the next three years. They’ll also need to offer cleaning and hygiene training to both staff and inmates working in residential and kitchen areas.
Inmates will be ensured access to personal cleaning supplies and protective equipment, like masks, gloves, clean mattresses, and blankets.
Further, the agreement stipulates that the prisons must update outdated ventilation systems and address plumbing issues, as well as problems with rust and mold.
County officials are also mandated to set up a comprehensive pest control program and hire independent professionals, approved by both the county and the plaintiff’s attorneys, to conduct a yearly assessment of the prison facilities for the next three years.
The initial lawsuit was filed in May 2011 by former Suffolk inmates, including Ricky Lynch, and 19 others from Riverhead Prison, detailing a range of horrific conditions such as exposure to human waste, mold, pests, freezing temperatures, and insufficient access to clean drinking water.
Representatives from the Manhattan-based law firm Allen Aubrey Sheerman Sterling and the New York Civil Liberties Union later joined the case, which expanded to include 163 plaintiffs who had lodged separate complaints regarding prison conditions.
Michael Martino, a spokesperson for Suffolk County Executive Edward Romain, mentioned that the lawsuit originated from a previous administration and could have cost taxpayers significantly more. He stated, “Through our county’s attorney staff, we have significantly diminished the potential liability.”
Martino noted that the county remains dedicated to improving prison conditions, indicating that Suffolk will contribute about $5 million toward the settlement, while insurance contracts will cover the rest.
