Judge To Fine California Prison System Each Day It Fails To Complete Prisoner Suicide Prevention Measures

On February 28, 2023, a federal judge announced that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will be fined for each day that it fails to complete a series of prisoner suicide prevention measures dictated per a 2015 court order related to the long-running Coleman class action lawsuit. The fines ($1,000 per day) will start on April 1, 2023.

The state must complete 15 suicide prevention measures at all 34 adult prisons. The measures include:

Implementing suicide prevention training
Conducting suicide risk evaluations
Placing at-risk inmates in suicide-resistant cells
Checking on at-risk inmates every . . .