Corrections and Incarceration

Fighting against cruel and unusual conditions of incarceration

You or your loved one is being held in jail or prison and subjected to extremely cruel treatment or conditions of confinement. These might include sexual assault and physical assaults by corrections officers or fellow inmates, solitary confinement, or failure to provide medications and education. 

Although the Constitution guarantees that no one will be subjected to cruel and unsafe conditions of incarceration, defending these rights can be challenging. Federal laws strictly limit your ability to bring a claim and it takes attorneys like us with the skill and deep experience to successfully navigate these cases. We treat our clients with compassion and understanding. And sometimes, our efforts are so effective, they redefine policies to better protect the rights of all incarcerated persons in Michigan.

We have deep experience representing individuals who are or have been incarcerated and detained in prisons, jails, and juvenile detention facilities and have experienced extremely cruel and unusual punishment or horrid conditions of confinement in violation of the constitutional rights. We have also brought class actions against the Michigan Department of Corrections and Michigan jails that resulted in historic settlements for our clients.

The size of the case doesn’t matter. Our mission is to bring justice to people who’ve been wronged by entities that are supposed to protect them.

Results for our clients

  • Historic $100 Million settlement on behalf of women incarcerated at the Huron Valley Women’s Correctional Center who were raped and sexually assaulted and harassed by the male corrections officers. As a result of our victory, Michigan now strictly monitors the assignment of guard duties to better protect women from sexual predation by corrections employees.

  • Historic $80 Million settlement on behalf of youths who were incarcerated with men and sexually assaulted by them.

  • $850,000 settlement for the family of a woman who committed suicide as a result of the deliberate indifference by corrections offers to her severe emotional distress.

  • Collaborated with the ACLU of Michigan to achieve meaningful equitable relief and policy changes at the Oakland County jail after they failed to take proper protective precautions to prevent COVID-19 infections.

  • Successful pro bono representation of two individuals who had been sentenced to life when they were only juveniles—both individuals are now released after many decades of incarceration and are proud, productive members of society.

Contact Our Team

If you believe that you or your loved one is being subjected to dangerous, unconstitutional incarceration, seek our advice soon rather than later. It is essential that the incarcerated person document what’s going on and file the proper grievances (“tickets” or “kites”) with the corrections or jail officers. Keep that documentation and copies of all grievances safe.

Founding partners Michael Pitt and Cary McGehee have led our firm’s case from the start, and they are joined by all of us in the pursuit of justice when jail and prison officials have violated your constitutional rights. Partners Beth Rivers and Kevin Carlson, and associate Channing Robinson-Holmes have also played key roles in a number of these cases.