June 18, 2010

DOJ v. Erie County: Stipulated Settlement Agreement & Order Concerning Suicide Prevention & Related Mental Health Issues

On June 18, 2010, administrators of the Erie County Holding Center (ECHC), a pre-trial detention center in Buffalo, New York, agreed to implement reforms and physical improvements to prevent inmate suicide. On September 30, 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil rights lawsuit against the facility's administrators because the suicide rate at the facility was found to be five times the national average, The agreement must be approved by the judge overseeing the lawsuit.