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Cook County to Pay Over $5 Million for Depriving Prisoners of Dental Care
by Douglas Ankney
In May 2018, commissioners in Cook County, Illinois agreed to establish a $5,263,000 fund to settle four lawsuits, including one certified as a class-action, alleging a complete denial of dental treatment for prisoners at the Cook County Jail (CCJ). The claims arose because, in a …
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More from this issue:
- News In Brief
- President Trump Wants Focus on Hiring Ex-Prisoners, Hosts Them at White House, by Scott Grammer
- California: Court of Appeal Holds Possession of Marijuana in Prison Still a Felony Despite Proposition 64, by Chad Marks
- Illinois Court Rules Indefinite Detention of Sex Offenders Due to Lack of Approved Housing Unconstitutional, by Scott Grammer
- Eighth Circuit Holds Guards Not Liable for Disregarding Prisoner’s Stroke Symptoms, by Matthew Clarke
- Over $980,000 in Damages, Fees Awarded in Deliberate Indifference Case Against Wexford, by Kevin W. Bliss
- $300,000 Settlement in Lawsuit over Minnesota Prisoner’s Suicide, by Matthew Clarke
- Federal Court Approves $3 Million Settlement for Death of Virginia Jail Prisoner Jamycheal Mitchell, by Scott Grammer
- Consumer Watchdog Group Releases Report on Bail and Corrections Industry, by Scott Grammer
- Colorado Prisoner Claims She was “Bait” in Prison Sexual Assault Sting, by Scott Grammer
- $115,000 Settlement after Nebraska Prison Nurses Ignore Prisoner Suffering Heart Attack, by Edward Lyon
- Jailed North Carolina Teenager Commits Suicide; $650,000 Wrongful Death Settlement, by Edward Lyon
- Federal Prison Guard Admits to Sexually Assaulting Prisoners, Sentenced to Two Years, by Edward Lyon
- Washington State Prisoner Properly Denied Visitation with Daughters, by David M. Reutter
- Texas Lawmakers Consider State Jails a “Complete Failure”, by Matthew Clarke
- Seventh Circuit Reinstates Lawsuit Over Illinois Jail’s Denial of Legal Publication Without Notice, by Matthew Clarke
- Third Circuit: Female Jail Guard Loses Discrimination, Wrongful Termination Case, by David M. Reutter
- California Jail Prisoners Claim Sleep Deprivation; Court Issues Injunction, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Study Shows Care for HIV-Positive Prisoners Poor after Release, Worse for Those Re-Incarcerated, by Scott Grammer
- HRDC Prevails in New Mexico Public Records Suit, by Edward Lyon
- Oregon Transitional Leave Violations Require Morrissey Due Process Protections, by Mark Wilson
- Pennsylvania Town Rejects Private Prison Firm, by Edward Lyon
- Prosecutorial Misconduct Records Protected by Colorado Supreme Court and SCOTUS, by Edward Lyon
- New Jersey Women’s Prison Again Under Investigation for Staff Sexual Abuse, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Denver, Colorado Pays $30,000 Settlement Over a $50 Bond Fee, by Edward Lyon
- Supreme Court Again Prevents Texas from Executing Intellectually Disabled Prisoner
- Second Circuit Reinstates Prisoner’s Lawsuit Dismissed for Failure to Comply with F.R.C.P., by Matthew Clarke
- Prisoners Seek Comprehensive Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment, by Kevin W. Bliss
- L.A. Sheriff Claims Jail Reforms Resulted in More Violence; Court Appointed Monitors Disagree, by Matthew Clarke
- $1.6 Million Awarded to California Family After Man Dies in County Jail, by Chad Marks
- Ohio Restaurateur Founds Hot Chicken Takeover, Hires Ex-Cons, by Scott Grammer
- Corizon Settles Lawsuit Over Colorado Jail Prisoner’s Death for $3.7 Million; County Pays Another $200,000, by Matthew Clarke
- Cook County to Pay Over $5 Million for Depriving Prisoners of Dental Care, by Douglas Ankney
- Class Action Challenges Theft of Millions of Digital Music Files from Florida Prisoners, by David M. Reutter
- Lawsuit Against New York Jail, CCS Survives Motion to Dismiss, by Derek Gilna
- Illinois: Settlement in Suit Against Private Prison Medical Contractor is a Disclosable Public Record
- Director of Nonprofit that Locked Up Thousands of Immigrant Children Resigns Amid Federal Investigation, by Douglas Ankney
- Louisiana State Prisoners Routinely Held Past Scheduled Release Dates, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Former Wisconsin Governor Regrets Building Prisons, by Scott Grammer
- Michigan Hit with Multiple Lawsuits Related to Women’s Prison, by Douglas Ankney
- Texas: Prosecutorial Misconduct May Stymie Death Sentence
- New Jersey County Pays $1,975,000 to Settle Suit Over Unlawful Strip Searches, by Douglas Ankney
- California Cops Impersonate Prisoners to Obtain Evidence, Confessions, by Edward Lyon
- $750,000 Settlement After Mentally Ill Prisoner Dies at Virginia Jail, by Edward Lyon
- Gladiator-Style Fight Club at San Francisco Jail Results in $60,000 Settlement, by Chad Marks, Edward Lyon
- Georgia Prisoner Left in Vegetative State; Lawsuit Settles for $1,500,000, by Edward Lyon
- Securus Hacked Again; Passwords, Personal Information, Location Data Compromised, by Matthew Clarke
- People with Traumatic Brain Injuries More Likely to Commit Crimes, by Edward Lyon
- Privately-Run British Prison in Shambles, Ministry of Justice Takes Control, by Scott Grammer
- Prisoner Enters Federal System Able to See, Leaves Nearly Blind; $2.6 Million Settlement, by Edward Lyon
- California: Placer County to Pay up to $1.44 Million to Settle Class Action Suit for Jail Beatings, by Douglas Ankney
- Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora” Left Out Torture and Abuse, by Katie Rose Quandt
- PLRA Attorney Fee Award Discussed after Oklahoma Jail Prisoner Awarded $35,001, by Derek Gilna
- Seventh Circuit Holds Heck May Not be Circumvented by Waiving Claims Related to Prison Disciplinary Punishment, by Matthew Clarke
- Florida City, County Decide to End Use of Prisoner Slave Labor, by Kevin W. Bliss
- HRDC Files Public Records Suits, Argues GEO Group is a De Facto Public Agency, by Steve Horn
- Ohio County Pays $115,000 to Settle Second Suit Over Restraint Chair Pepper-Spraying, by Matthew Clarke
- Republican-Appointed Federal Judges Sentence Blacks More Harshly, Women More Leniently, by Edward Lyon
- Los Angeles County to Pay Almost $4 Million for Sexual Abuse by Jail Deputy, by Douglas Ankney
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Missouri Sheriff Hires Girlfriend to Run Jail; Both are Arrested, by Scott Grammer
- The Isolation of Being Deaf in Prison, by Jeremy Woody
- PLN Interviews Randy Berg, Director of the Florida Justice Institute, by Paul Wright
More from Douglas Ankney:
- California Appeals Court Sustains Amendments to CDCR that Narrow Youth Parole Eligibility Rules, July 1, 2026
- Eighth Circuit Revives § 1983 Complaint Alleging Jail Detainees’ Death from Stroke was Due to Deliberate Indifference and Failure to Train, July 1, 2026
- California Court of Appeal Announces Defendants Who Exercise Right to Jury Trial on Aggravating Circumstances Are Entitled to Closing Argument by Counsel on Those Factors, July 1, 2026
- SCOTUS Holds Federal Habeas Court May Not Consider Post-Trial DNA Evidence That Was Never Presented to Jury When Assessing Whether False Informant Testimony Influenced Verdict, July 1, 2026
- Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia Announces Six-Factor Test for Evaluating Presentence Motions to Withdraw Guilty Pleas Under Rule 32(e), Holds Binding Plea Agreement Does Not Extinguish Defendant’s Ability to Seek Withdrawal, July 1, 2026
- New Jersey Lawmakers Pass “Female Incarcerated Person’s Rights Protection Act”, July 1, 2026
- Louisiana’s Atavistic Approach to Criminal Sentencing and Parole Demonstrates Politicians’ Failure to Learn from Past Mistakes, July 1, 2026
- California Supreme Court Announces Amended § 1170(b) Applies Retroactively to Plea-Bargained Upper Term Sentences, July 1, 2026
- Michigan Supreme Court Announces Betts Decision Invalidating 2011 SORA as Ex Post Facto Punishment Applies Retroactively to Defendants on Collateral Review, July 1, 2026
- South Carolina Supreme Court Announces Formal Adoption of Fourth Circuit’s Three-Step Cheek Framework for Evaluating Improper Third-Party Contacts With Jurors Under Remmer, Reverses Murdaugh Murder Convictions, and Overrules Ethier Regarding Juror Testim, July 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- Seventh Circuit Reinstates Illinois Prisoner’s Lawsuit Against Prison Dental Staff, June 1, 2026. Dental Care, Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA), Summary Judgment, Class Certification, Deliberate Indifference.
- $112,500 Paid to Former New Mexico Prisoner Denied Public Records of Excessive Force by Guards, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Settlements, Public Records Act, False Imprisonment.
- Settlement Reached in Mental Health Care Class-Action at San Diego County Jails, June 1, 2026. Settlements, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Class Actions, Administrative Detention/Segregation, Inadequate Health Care Facilities.
- Pepper Spraying Incident Prompts Policy Change at Washington Women’s Prison, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Settlements, Staff Training, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- Arkansas Supreme Court Bows to Governor’s Board of Correction Takeover, June 1, 2026. Government Misconduct, Cost of Prison Systems, Settlements, State Legislation, Authority and Jurisdiction.
- California Pays $15,000 to State Prisoner Who Claimed He Was Targeted by Guards, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Snitch Jacketing, Failure to Protect (General), Summary Judgment, Settlements.
- ACLU Threatens New Lawsuit After Indiana County’s Repeated Failures to Abide by 17-Year-Old Settlement Agreement, May 1, 2026. Overcrowding, Exercise, Sanitation, Bedding, Settlements.
- Former Prison Dentist in Iowa Accused of Harassment, May 1, 2026. Sexual Harassment, Threats by Staff, Medical Misconduct, Dental Care.
- Massachusetts Settles Lawsuit with Promise to Release Jail Voting Data, April 1, 2026. Voting, Advocacy, Settlements, Voting Rights, Felon Disenfranchisement Statute.
- Mississippi DOC Retains Law Firm to Monitor VitalCore Contract, April 1, 2026. Contractor Misconduct, Systemic Medical Neglect, Dental Care, Private Contractors, Staffing.

