Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_90-cv-00520/USCOURTS-caed-2_90-cv-00520-1385/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

1 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 At a hearing on September 30, 2024, the court issued several orders requiring defendants 

18 to provide to the Special Master’s suicide prevention expert, Lindsay Hayes, additional evidence 

19 and information related to defendants’ implementation of court-ordered suicide prevention 

20 measures. See ECF No. 8414. As relevant to this order, the court deferred ruling on defendants’ 

21 compliance with measure 3 and 8 pending receipt of additional evidence as directed, and directed 

22 the parties to file a joint status report on the steps defendants will take to inform staff in the field 

23 “of the practical impact of the court’s ruling on objections” to the Special Master’s expert’s 

24 findings on his Sixth Re-Audit Report. Id. 

25 On October 21, 2024, with respect to measure 3, defendants filed a report on completed 

26 suicide prevention trainings by discipline for calendar year 2023. ECF No. 8434. That report 

27 shows that 13 of 21 institutions, or 62 percent, achieved 90 percent compliance with required 

28 ///// 

RALPH COLEMAN, et al., 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

GAVIN NEWSOM, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:90-cv-0520 KJM SCR P 

ORDER 

Case 2:90-cv-00520-KJM-SCR Document 8478 Filed 11/27/24 Page 1 of 3
2 

1 suicide prevention trainings across all three disciplines. Defendants did not achieve compliance 

2 with measure 3 during calendar year 2023. 

3 On October 28, 2024, the parties filed the required joint report on steps defendants plan to 

4 take to inform the field of the court’s rulings. ECF Nos. 8445, 8445-1. The parties’ 

5 representations in the joint report indicate defendants have taken those steps. See ECF No. 8445. 

The court approves the steps as presented.1 6 

7 On October 31, 2024, with respect to measure 8, defendants filed declarations from the 

8 Director of Nursing and Supervising Registered Nurse at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) and 

9 the Chief Nurse Executives at, respectively, California Institution for Men (CIM) and California 

10 Institution for Women (CIW). ECF Nos. 8453-1, 8453-2, 8453-3. The declarants from SVSP 

11 and CIW aver that proper safety and security protocols are followed at those institutions. See

12 ECF Nos. 8453-1, 8453-3. After receiving the court’s order, the declarant from CIM “spoke to 

13 staff conducting the screenings and discovered inconsistent adherence to the policy for patients on 

14 maximum custody status and represents that monitoring of staff to ensure policy compliance “will 

15 continue.” ECF No. 8453-2 at 2. 

16 The Special Master’s expert reported privacy issues at five prisons, California 

17 Correctional Institution (CCI), Wasco State Prison (WSP), SVSP, CIM and CIW, finding 

18 compliance at 15 of 20 institutions, or 75 percent. ECF No. 8143-1 at 6. With their objections, 

19 defendants presented evidence of compliance with this measure at CCI and WSP. ECF No. 8179 

20 at 31-33. At hearing on September 30, 2024, without objection from plaintiffs the court accepted 

21 defendants’ evidence, found that defendants still had not demonstrated the required 90 percent 

22 compliance with this measure, and directed defendants to submit declarations from SVSP, CIW, 

23 and CIM. Reporter’s Transcript of Proceedings (RT) at 21-22, ECF No. 8433. The declarations 

24 filed October 31, 2024 as the court ordered at hearing show compliance at SVSP and CIW. 

25 Based on the evidence presented with defendants’ objections, ECF No. 8179 at 31-11, and the 

1

 The joint report also includes an update concerning defendants’ regional SPRFIT audits, 

and a representation that plaintiffs did not receive the proposal with sufficient time to comment. 

ECF No. 8445 at 2-3. The court makes no findings on the adequacy of defendants’ proposal at 

this time. 

Case 2:90-cv-00520-KJM-SCR Document 8478 Filed 11/27/24 Page 2 of 3
3 

1 declarations filed October 31, 2024, the court finds defendants achieved 95 percent compliance 

with measure 8 in 2023.2 2 

3 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

4 DATED: November 27, 2024. 

2

 Defendants must achieve durable compliance with remedial measures in this action. The 

court has not yet established the required period of durability that must be achieved. 

Case 2:90-cv-00520-KJM-SCR Document 8478 Filed 11/27/24 Page 3 of 3