DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Former inmates at Dauphin County Prison filed a federal class action lawsuit on Tuesday alleging that prison leadership created inhumane living conditions for over a month last year.
The lawsuit, submitted to the Middle District of Pennsylvania court, outlines a series of grievances and seeks to hold the prison accountable for its treatment of incarcerated individuals.
The incidents detailed in the lawsuit reportedly occurred between November and December 2023 while the incarcerated individuals were held in the Restricted Housing Unit (RHU), a common area in correctional facilities intended to separate inmates from the general population and limit their privileges.
However, the lawsuit alleges more than just the loss of privileges; it claims inmates' basic rights and needs were disregarded by the prison officials.
The individuals responsible for the lawsuit claim that officers confiscated essential legal paperwork, religious and educational texts, and communication tools, alongside personal items like extra clothing and hygiene products that the incarcerated individuals had purchased.
Individuals' access to necessities such as toilet paper, water and medications was also inconsistent or denied by officials, according to the lawsuit. The document also claims that prison leadership cut off power and heat to the RHU during freezing temperatures, forcing inmates to endure intolerable conditions for extended periods.
Margo Hu, one of the attorneys representing the former inmates, described the dire circumstances in the RHU.
“Temperatures were regularly freezing, if not below freezing,” Hu remarked, noting that without electricity prisoners lived in complete darkness for up to 17 days, with no access to light for 14 hours each day.
Despite multiple complaints filed by the inmates and noted in the lawsuit, many received no response. In some instances, their grievances were outright denied, leaving them in prolonged states of isolation and deprivation.
Hu indicated that of the more than 1,000 individuals incarcerated at the facility, at least 62 could be included in the lawsuit's class. However, because of the continuous transfer of inmates in and out of the RHU, it remains uncertain how many others may have suffered under similar conditions.
According to the court filing, the alleged mistreatment was a response after prison officials expressed concerns that inmates in the RHU were engaging in illicit activities, including smoking synthetic marijuana and misusing electrical outlets to create a spark. Hu criticized this as a disproportionate punishment that violates fundamental human rights.
“Just because someone is in a facility doesn’t mean they should be able to be subject to punishment without cause or reason,” Hu added.
Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglass, who was not serving as commissioner at the time of the incidents, expressed his shock over the initial report, stating he was, “deeply disturbed.”
“As a commissioner committed to transparency and accountability, I believe it is essential to let this process play out fully,” Douglass stated. “If any inappropriate actions occurred, it is important that there are appropriate consequences.”
Regardless of the lawsuit's outcome, Hu emphasized that the hope for her clients is to instigate vital changes in the prison system to prevent future abuses.
“Even if their scars cannot be erased, they just don't want more people to go through what they went through because it is so extreme and so horrific,” Hu remarked.
Two of the three men listed in the lawsuit have since been transferred to different correctional facilities in the state, one was released and is no longer incarcerated.
The lawsuit adds to a series of complaints regarding the treatment of inmates at Dauphin County Prison, including reports of increased deaths within the facility. Dauphin County Prison serves as a pre-trial facility, so some individuals housed there have not been proven guilty, maintaining their legal presumption of innocence.
Dauphin County Commissioners stated they hadn’t been served as of Tuesday evening. Lawyers await their response to determine if the case will proceed to trial, result in a dismissal or possibly end in a settlement.
Hu stated it could take another year before the formerly incarcerated individuals receive any answers.