The District of Columbia government will pay up to $6.2 million in settlements for an inmate lawsuit.
According to court documents the District government violated detainees’ rights by continuing to hold inmates in jail after their release dates. The District was also found guilty of violating inmates by subjecting them to strip searches past their release dates.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth declared that hundreds of inmates were victims of these violations long after they were ordered to be released.
According to William Claiborne, the lead attorney, the release system has since made improvements which include releasing inmates at the courthouse rather than returning them to jail.
The pay-out agreement was filed this week and must have final approval from the court.
