Cases
All of our briefs are linked on their respective case pages. If they are helpful to you as an attorney or pro se litigator, please feel welcome to use them.
Survivors of Sexual Abuse at FCI Dublin
FCI Dublin is facing an avalanche of lawsuits stemming from the systemic staff sexual abuse and misconduct that has long gone unchecked at this facility.
Savage v. Harris County, Texas, et. al.
Harris County Jail, in Houston Texas, is one of the most violent and deadly jails in the country. Ms. Savage suffered unspeakable violence during the three months she was incarcerated, including a guard assault that resulted in the loss of her pregnancy.
Jane Doe v. Georgia Department of Correction et al
A transgender woman confined in men's prisons for decades, Ms. Doe has endured the GDC's unwarranted denial of gender-affirming surgery despite receiving recommendations for surgery from multiple GDC psychiatrists.
Voices of the Experienced (VOTE) et al. v. James LeBlanc et al.
This lawsuit challenges the harsh and unconstitutional conditions of forced agricultural labor at Angola. It is brought Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) and four incarcerated men currently at Angola, who represent all those compelled to work on the so-called “Farm Line.” Angola, once a plantation site, now spans 18,000 acres and forces incarcerated people, primarily Black men, into agricultural labor under oppressive conditions. These individuals toil in extreme heat and humidity, often lacking basic safety gear. This labor serves no legitimate purpose, with men forced to perform grueling tasks like digging and refilling holes or manually picking blades of grass.
California Coalition for Women Prisoners, et. al. v. United States of America Federal Bureau of Prisons, et. al.
This case is a putative class action on behalf of all people incarcerated at FCI Dublin, where inadequate systems for preventing, detecting, investigating, and responding to staff sexual abuse put everyone at the facility at risk. The plaintiffs in this case have endured horrific abuse and exploitation at the hands of prison employees, including but not limited to: rape and sexual assault; manipulation and sexual coercion; rampant degrading sexual comments; voyeurism and taking and sharing explicit photos; drugging, groping, and other forms of abuse during medical exams; and targeted abuse towards immigrant women leveraging the threat of deportation.
Washington v. Massachusetts Department of Correction, et al.
RBB represents Derrick Washington in a lawsuit in federal court seeking accountability for brutal assaults that Mr. Washington experienced January through March 2020 at the hands of Souza Baranowski Correctional Complex guards.
Ahn v. The GEO Group, et al.
“Mr. Ahn’s case underscores a fact we know all too well: immigration detention is dangerous, and deadly,” said Oren Nimni, Litigation Director at Rights Behind Bars. “The physical and mental harms caused by detention cannot be overstated and fundamentally undermine any justification for continuing the practice.”
Edwards v. Hooks et al.
Tracey Edwards was shackled whilst pregnant, in labor, and post-partum during her incarceration by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Garrett v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Mr. Garrett’s case is an example of the pervasive conduct of using patrol dogs to attack prisoners when there is no legitimate justification for doing so in the Virginia Department of Corrections
Richardson v. Clarke et al.
Richardson v. Clarke is an appeal brought by Rights Behind Bars in the Fourth Circuit on behalf of a man in the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) system who argues VDOC violated his right to freely exercise his religion and failed to provide him accommodations as a person with a disability.
Jones et al v. City of St. Louis et al.
Our second case challenging conditions at St. Louis City Justice Center, this case seeks damages for our clients who were maced, and also seeks to stop the facility’s punitive practice of shutting off water.
Rivas v. Hodgson
RBB acts as counsel on behalf of Moises Rivas who was unlawfully held by the Bristol County Sheriff's Office for three weeks solely because he had an outstanding civil immigration detainer.
Tillman v. City of Saint Louis et al.
Brought in partnership with ArchCity Defenders, MacArthur Justice, and Saint Louis University Law School Clinic, RBB has filed this ADA action on behalf of Anthony Tillman, a paraplegic man detained in St. Louis's City Justice Center.
Cofield et al v. McDonald et al.
Rights Behind Bars acts as counsel in this novel litigation seeking to invalidate Plymouth County Sheriff's Office's 287(g) agreement—a contract with the Department of Homeland Security purportedly authorizing local sheriffs to engage in immigration enforcement activities.
Johnson v. McCowan
Corey Johnson was the victim of a gruesome canine attack as he was lying motionless and face down on the ground with his arms extended outward. Mr. Johnson’s right wrist and arm were mauled, and he was dragged several feet by the dog. The Virginia Department of Corrections continues to allow the use of unmuzzled canines to terrify and attack people in order to ensure their compliance with prison guard orders.