Prison Class Actions
Civil Rights Behind Bars
Loevy + Loevy has successfully litigated prisoner rights class actions in multiple settings.
In Young v. County of Cook, we represented men detained at the Cook County Jail who had been subjected to abusive and humiliating shakedowns. In that case, we successfully obtained more than $55 million for the men who endured these shakedowns, and helped convince the Cook County Sheriff’s Office to change its policy on searching detainees.
In Mays v. Dart, we sued Cook County Jail during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic on behalf of detainees, and successfully forced the jail to implement COVID-19 distancing, sanitation, and protections. We also successfully defended the government’s efforts to undo those wins all the way to the Supreme Court. Mays was one of the few COVID-19 cases in the country to survive review by a federal court of appeals.
In Dobbey v. Wielding, we represent people incarcerated at Stateville Prison, one of Illinois’ largest prison facilities, and we have forced the Illinois Department of Corrections to make numerous changes to improve basic conditions for the people housed there.
Our success is based in large part on our tireless efforts to pursue justice on behalf of our clients and provide them the best outcome possible. We are intimately familiar with the ways that prisons and jails react to deaths in custody, including efforts by some to conceal their wrongdoing. We use this knowledge, along with our expertise in litigating prisoners’ rights, to help defeat the challenges that prisoners’ families face in trying to uncover the truth and obtain justice.
Our Experience
Loevy + Loevy has extensive experience representing men and women in custody in jail or prison. We have filed over 100 cases concerning prisoners’ rights. We have taken on individual clients and represented classes of prisoners numbering in the thousands. We have obtained highly favorable verdicts and settlements for prisoners and/or their loved ones. For more information on our successes, visit our Big Wins page.
Loevy + Loevy has represented prisoners or their loved ones in states all over the country, including Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Wisconsin, and more.
Our Commitment
When we take a case, it’s because we believe that a serious constitutional violation has occurred and we are committed to trying to achieve justice for our client. Even though many cases eventually reach settlement, we approach each case with an eye toward getting it into a courtroom. Loevy + Loevy is known for its willingness to take hard cases to trial (and win them), and has a nationally recognized reputation for success in the courtroom.
We always work on a contingency basis in prisoners’ rights cases, so you will not be on the hook for any attorney fees unless we win.
Many prisoners’ rights cases require medical or correctional experts to give opinions about the standard of care in the correctional setting. These experts and other costs associated with civil litigation can cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. Loevy + Loevy agrees to front the costs for our clients so that they can vindicate their constitutional rights even if they cannot afford to pay.
Contact Us
If you or your loved one is being denied adequate conditions of confinement while in jail or prison, contact us today for a free consultation. You can call us at (312) 243-5900, toll-free (888) 644-6459, or contact us online.
You can also write us at:
Loevy + Loevy
Attn: Prisoners’ Rights
311 North Aberdeen St., 3rd Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60607
If you are currently incarcerated, please remember to write “Legal Mail” or “Attorney Mail” on the envelope.
