Brown v. Plata

Facts

California’s prison system, designed to house approximately 80,000 inmates, was holding nearly 156,000 prisoners at the time of trial, operating at almost 200% of design capacity for more than a decade. This severe overcrowding led to dangerous and unsanitary conditions, with inmates housed in gymnasiums and dayrooms supervised by as few as two or three correctional officers, and up to 54 prisoners sharing a single toilet. The overcrowding strained medical and mental health care facilities, which were designed for a much smaller population. Vacancy rates for medical and mental health staff positions were extremely high, and even if filled, there would be insufficient space for staff to work. Suicidal inmates were held in telephone-booth sized cages without toilets for prolonged periods due to lack of treatment beds. Prisoners faced significant delays in receiving care, with backlogs of up to 700 prisoners waiting to see a doctor and delays of months for mental health treatment. The Coleman Special Master and Plata Receiver both reported that overcrowding was a significant barrier to providing constitutionally adequate care, with the Receiver stating that the existing system was “more an act of desperation than a system.”