ACLU of Indiana finalizes $1.2 Million in settlements over abuse at Miami Correctional Facility

The ACLU of Indiana announced on April 27 they have finalized settlements totaling more than $1.2 million on behalf of 31 people who were held in abusive conditions at Miami Correctional Facility in Miami County, Indiana.

According to the press release, the lawsuits were filed against the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) over the plaintiffs’ placement in cells with metal-covered windows and no working lights. People held in these cells were confined in total or near-total darkness. In some cells, live wires hung from the ceiling, shocking people as they attempted to navigate the darkness. Some people were confined under these conditions for months and were rarely permitted out of their cells.

This litigation began in early 2021 with a case filed on behalf of Jeremy Blanchard, followed by a flood of additional affected inmates, resulting in 30 more cases filed.

The lawsuits detailed the extreme physical and psychological harm these conditions caused, including injuries, panic attacks, hallucinations, and self-harm. A corrections expert who reviewed the unit said he had never seen “such a blatant and systematic application of isolation and sensory deprivation, deviating from correctional standards and common sense.”

“After more than five years of litigation, these settlements bring some measure of justice to people who have endured horrific abuse at Miami Correctional Facility,” said Ken Falk, Legal Director at the ACLU of Indiana. “The Eighth Amendment protects people in state custody from cruel and unconstitutional conditions, and our clients showed enormous courage in coming forward with their experiences.”

ACLU of Indiana said they will continue fighting to protect the constitutional rights of people who are incarcerated and to hold the state accountable when those rights are violated.