A class action lawsuit challenging prison conditions in Suffolk County can proceed, a judge has ruled. In April 2012, inmates at a maximum/medium security jail in Riverhead and a minimum security jail in Yaphank sued the county, saying the inmates were exposed to "deplorable and inhumane conditions." The action seeks a court order requiring the county to improve conditions, which lawyers argue violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment (NYLJ, April 6, 2012).
In a pre-discovery dismissal motion, the county sought to dismiss the action in which plaintiffs sought class certification. In a 53-page March 19 ruling, Eastern District Judge Joanna Seybert, sitting in Central Islip, found the plaintiffs sufficiently pleaded a number of their claims and also granted class status. The county had argued for dismissal because, among other things, the plaintiffs failed to plead they personally suffered physical injuries at the facilities.
