Department of Justice Warns Alabama Against Violating Constitution In Prison Lawsuit Brief

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a brief in a longstanding lawsuit brought by former and current inmates of an Alabama prison, alleging widespread violence and sexual assaults among prisoners. The DOJ’s brief cautioned prison officials against violating the inmates’ constitutional rights, AL.com reported. 

This brief was submitted in the Northern District of Alabama in response to a lawsuit initiated 10 years ago by inmates at St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville. According to the DOJ, “The United States has a substantial interest in protecting the constitutional rights of all people, including prisoners, and ensuring the proper application of the legal standards grounded in the Eighth Amendment.”

The inmates’ lawsuit asserts that the unsafe conditions at the prison have led to violence, sexual abuse, and excessive force, violating their Eighth Amendment rights, which protect against cruel and unusual punishment. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division emphasized, “The Constitution requires prison officials to take reasonable steps to protect the people in their custody. We must not allow violence and sexual abuse to run rampant in our prisons and jails. We are committed to securing the constitutional rights of all people, including those who are incarcerated.”

Prim Escalona, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, echoed this commitment: “People do not lose their constitutional rights behind prison walls. Our office remains committed to ensuring constitutional conditions, including reasonable safety, within Alabama’s prisons.”

The DOJ’s brief argues that while “perfect conditions” are not necessary, the constitutional rights of inmates must be upheld. It asserts, “The Eighth Amendment guarantees humane conditions, which necessitates that prison officials take reasonable measures to provide for prisoners’ safety. Defendants violate this right if they fail to respond reasonably to known risks of harm, including by taking actions they know to be ineffective and refusing to take reasonable actions to mitigate the harm. The United States respectfully requests that the Court consider this Statement of Interest in applying the Eighth Amendment to this case.”