J.A., et al. v. Barbour, et al.

Case Number

3:07-cv-00394

J.A. v. Barbour

The 澳彩开奖 sued the state of Mississippi in federal court to stop the physical and sexual abuse of teenage girls at the state鈥檚 Columbia Training School and compel the state to provide federally required mental health and rehabilitative treatment to girls confined there.

The 澳彩开奖 suit exposed brutal conditions at the prison, including the painful shackling of girls for weeks at a time. One girl was choked by a guard. Another girl was groped and fondled while in isolation. Many of the girls at Columbia suffered from emotional problems or mental illness and needed mental health and rehabilitative services.

Seven months after filing the lawsuit, the state of Mississippi announced it would close the training school. State officials said they recognized the need to provide the best possible care and supervision of juveniles placed in state custody and the need to use taxpayer funds efficiently.

Issue Area

Children's Rights

Case Details

Date Filed

July 11, 2007

Status

Settled

Court where filed

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi in Jackson

Plaintiffs

J.A., L.R., R.B., T.D., L.H, on behalf of themselves and all other persons similarly situated, H.D., S.G., M.S., E.S., S.W., and the Mississippi Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc.

Defendants

Governor Haley Barbour, in his official capacity; Donald Taylor, in his official capacity as Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services; L. Donald Armagost in his official and individual capacities as the administrator of Columbia Training School; Richard James, in his official and individual capacities as Assistant Administrator of Columbia Training School; Kathy Pittman, in her official capacity as Director of the Division of Youth Services; Mr. Alexander in his official and individual capacities as a Columbia Training School Security Officer.