Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_90-cv-00520/USCOURTS-caed-2_90-cv-00520-1352/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

RALPH COLEMAN, et al., 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

GAVIN NEWSOM, et al., 

Defendants. 

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

ORDER 

On October 11, 2023, this court issued an order requiring defendants to maintain a 

maximum mental health vacancy rate in the California Department of Corrections and 

Rehabilitation (CDCR) psychiatric inpatient programs (PIPs) and, within six months, to “take all 

steps necessary to come into complete compliance with the staffing ratios in their 2021 CDCR 

PIP Staffing Plan and the maximum ten percent vacancy rate. . . .” Oct. 11, 2023 Order at 3, ECF 

No. 8009. The six month period ended on or about April 11, 2024. Defendants’ monthly staffing 

vacancy report covering the month of April 2024 shows defendants are not in compliance with 

the October 11, 2023 order in any mental health classification. See generally ECF No. 8254. At 

a status conference on June 27, 2024, the parties concurred with the court’s plan to follow the 

same procedure it has used in the past in this action to compel compliance with its orders. See, 

e.g., April 19, 2017 Order at 8-11, ECF No. 5610., appeal dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, 

Coleman v. Brown, No. 17-16080 (9th Cir. Nov. 28, 2018). As the court has previously observed, 

Case 2:90-cv-00520-KJM-SCR Document 8301 Filed 06/28/24 Page 1 of 3
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that procedure provides defendants with “ample opportunity to be heard and avoid additional 

proceedings.” Feb. 28, 2023 Order at 3, ECF No. 7742.1 

Consistent with that procedure, fines as set out in this order will begin accumulating on 

July 1, 2024. Beginning with the monthly vacancy report to be filed on the last business day of 

August 2024, the fines will be calculated using the average of the maximum salary for each class 

in the state’s salary schedules, see ECF No. 8089-1, as follows: 

 Defendants shall list in the vacancy charts columns with the total number of vacant 

positions in each class that must be filled in order to comply with the October 11, 

2023 order. 

 Beginning July 1, 2024, fines will accumulate, as follows: For each class of 

vacancies, the number of vacancies reported as required by the preceding 

paragraph will be multiplied by the average maximum monthly salary for each 

class, as follows: 

o Staff Psychiatrist: $23,732.00 

o Senior Psychiatrist (Specialist): $24,701.00 

o Senior Psychiatrist (Supervisor): $24,763.25 

o Chief Psychiatrist: $28,742.03 

o Clinical Psychologist: $11,299.67 

o Senior Psychologist (Specialist): $12,314.50 

o Senior Psychologist (Supervisor): $12,702.50 

o Chief Psychologist: $17,139.00 

o Medical Assistant: $4,690.00 

o Clinical Social Worker: $8,968.14 

o Supervising Psychiatric Social Worker I: $9,4929.00 

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 The court observed in the February 28, 2023 order, as equally relevant in the 

context of PIP staffing and still true today for mental health staffing throughout 

CDCR’s Mental Health Services Delivery System (MHSDS): “Defendants must 

increase the size of their mental health staff, decrease the size of the plaintiff class 

or both to comply with the Eighth Amendment. This court can only require the 

former.” ECF No. 7742 at 3. 

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o Supervising Psychiatric Social Worker II: $9,991.50 

o Recreation Therapist: $6,596.67 

 The total monthly fine will be double the sum of the category-by-category 

calculations specified above. The fine will accumulate month to month. 

 Beginning with the monthly vacancy report to be filed on the last business day of 

August 2024, defendants shall include a separate chart of the fines accumulated 

under this order for July 2024 and, in subsequent months, a total of fines 

accumulated to date. 

 If fines accumulate for four months, unless the court extends that period of time 

for good cause, the court will schedule a hearing on contempt and payment of the 

accumulated fine. 

 Fines will continue to accumulate during any contempt and payment proceedings. 

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

1. Beginning with the monthly vacancy report to be filed on the last business day of 

August 2024, and continuing until further order of the court, defendants shall identify 

in their monthly vacancy report the dollar amounts as required by this order. 

2. All dollar amounts identified in each monthly vacancy report will accumulate as fines. 

If fines accumulate for four consecutive months, unless the court extends that period 

of time for good cause, the court will set a date for a hearing on findings of contempt 

and payment of fines that have accumulated on or after July 1, 2024. 

DATED: June 27, 2024. 

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