Michigan Women's Prisons Settle Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct Under Justice Department Agreement

Female inmates housed in Michigan prisons will now be protected from sexual assaults, sexual harassment, and unnecessary invasions of privacy under an agreement reached today between the Justice Department and the State of Michigan.

The agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, resolves a complaint brought by the Justice Department in March 1997, alleging that inmates at the Crane and Scott Correctional facilities were subjected to sexual misconduct and unlawful invasion of privacy.

"No woman should fear sexual assault from individuals sworn to protect them," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "Today's agreement ensures that female inmates in Michigan's prison system no longer have to live with that fear. The agreement goes a long way toward protecting women from unacceptable behavior."

The Justice Department began looking at Michigan's facilities in June 1994, after receiving complaints about alleged misconduct by staff. On March 10, 1997, the Department filed suit against the state under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), enacted in 1980 to protect the rights of people housed in state and local governmental institutions, including state prisons. The Department has interviewed hundreds of inmates, participated in the depositions of more than 170 inmates and approximately 70 employees, and reviewed thousands of documents, including investigation reports, and inmate and employee files.