Chief Goes Out, et al v. Missoula County

The ACLU of Montana sued Missoula County on Sept. 12, 2012 on behalf of three named prisoners and class of similarly situated prisoners over discriminatory treatment. Female prisoners and juvenile prisoners at the jail are denied outdoor recreation which is provided to male prisoners for one hour a day, five days a week. Not only is this gender and age discrimination, but it also violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The plaintiffs in the case report serious physical and psychological damage caused by their inability to get fresh air or sunlight, and courts across the nation have repeatedly held that denial of outdoor exercise is a violation of prisoners Eighth Amendment rights. The settlement agreement reached in the summer of 2013 resulted in satisfactory policy and procedure changes at Crossroads Correctional Center.