Banks v. Booth

District Court, District of Columbia·Decided June 18, 2020·No. Civil Action No. 2020-0849·Published

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

____________________________________

EDWARD BANKS, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v. No. 1:20-cv-849 (CKK)

QUINCY BOOTH, in his official capacity as Director of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, et al.,

Defendants. ____________________________________

REPORT SUBMITTED BY AMICUS CURIAE PURSUANT TO APRIL 28, 2020 CONSENT ORDER

Pursuant to the April 28, 2020 Consent Order issued in the above-captioned matter,

Amici, Grace M. Lopes and Mark Jordan, submit the following report for the Court’s

consideration.

I. INTRODUCTION

On April 9, 2020 amici were appointed to provide specific information to the Court

regarding medical services and environmental health and hygiene at two detention facilities

operated by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (“DOC”), the Central Detention

Facility (“CDF”) and the Correctional Treatment Facility (“CTF”). Pursuant to that order amici

provided information to the Court during an April 15, 2020 teleconference and in a written report

on April 18, 2020. On April 19, 2020, the Court issued an order granting plaintiffs’ request for a

Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) and requiring the defendants to take certain specified

actions. Thereafter, on April 28, 2020 amici were appointed to provide information to the Court regarding certain matters related to the TRO, which concern the COVID-19 pandemic at the

CDF and the CTF. Following issuance of the April 28, 2020 order and using the same

methodology applied in their earlier review, amici collected and analyzed data obtained from site

visits at both facilities; conducted structured interviews with DOC managers, line staff, inmates,

and contractors; reviewed electronic health records; and analyzed multiple electronic datasets

extracted from information management systems maintained by the DOC or its contract services

providers.

The April 28, 2020 order required amici to provide information to the Court by

answering five questions during an oral report to the Court on May 11, 2020, and four additional

questions in a written report required to be submitted by May 20, 2020. Accordingly, during a

teleconference with the Court and the parties on May 11, 2020, amici presented their findings

concerning the first five questions reflected in the order. This report supplements but does not

restate that presentation and summarizes amici’s responses to the remaining four questions

reflected in the order. In addition, this report explains the methodology amici relied upon to

conduct their assessment, addresses relevant background data regarding the facilities subject to

the assessment, and presents updated information concerning the prevalence of COVID-19 cases

at both the CDF and CTF.

The defendants have continued to cooperate fully with amici’s requests for information.

DOC and contract staff at every level, as well as representatives from the Office of the Attorney

General, have continued to make themselves available on short notice, on every day of the week,

and well after traditional office hours. Data reports and other records have continued to be

produced on abbreviated timelines. Amici appreciate the efforts the defendants have continued to

make to facilitate their review.

2 II. METHODOLOGY

Following the issuance of the April 28, 2020 order, amici conducted unannounced and

unescorted site visits on multiple shifts on May 7 and 8, 2020, at both the CDF and CTF,

respectively. In addition, amici conducted an unannounced and unescorted site visit at the CDF

during the PM shift on May 14, 2020. During the course of these site visits, amici visited

general population, maximum and medium security housing units, including housing units on

isolation, quarantine and non-quarantine status, special management and mental health units at

both facilities, and the CTF infirmary and urgent care clinic. Five housing units at the CDF (N-

1, NW-1, SW-3, SE-2 and N-2) and six housing units (C3A, C3B, SMUB, D2A, E4B, E4A) in

addition to the infirmary at the CTF were visited. The isolation unit at the CDF (N-2) was

visited on two separate dates. Observations in housing units included cells, dayrooms,

restrooms, supply storage areas, and shower facilities. At both facilities, medical units,

administrative offices, and visitor entry areas were visited.

Structured in-person and/or telephone interviews were conducted with members of the

DOC executive management team, including the DOC Deputy Directors of Administration,

Operations, Programs and Case Management, and Professional Development and College and

Career Readiness; the DOC Medical Director; the Medical Director, Director of Nursing, and

other members of the Correctional Health Program at Unity Health Care, Inc. (“Unity”);1 the

CDF and CTF Warden and the Deputy Warden assigned to the CTF; and dozens of correctional

officers and supervisory correctional staff assigned to various posts throughout the facilities. In-

person interviews were also conducted, in groups and individually, with over 100 inmates on

1 Unity provides medical services on a contractual basis to inmates at the CDF and CTF.

3 isolation, quarantine and non-quarantine status as well as in restricted housing units and in the

general population at both facilities.

In addition to the information collected during site visits and from interviews, amici

requested and continued to receive access from the DOC to the electronic health records of

inmates confined at the CDF and CTF.2 Review and analysis of samples from these records has

been conducted and the results were presented during the May 11, 2020 teleconference. The

following data for both facilities were also obtained from the DOC and analyzed:

 Daily census data, including inmate housing assignments, for the period April 1, 2020 to May 14, 2020;  Data related to sick call requests for the period April 19, 2020 to April 30, 2020;  Data related to urgent care encounters for the period April 19, 2020 to April 30, 2020;  Data related to all COVID-19 tests conducted on inmates housed at both facilities through May 14, 2020; and  Open work orders for maintenance activities as of May 15, 2020. Data related to DOC correctional staffing levels was also reviewed and is addressed below.

III. BACKGROUND

As described in amici’s April 18, 2020 report, the CDF is a multi-story, secure detention

center. At the time of the May 2020 site visits, population levels hovered at approximately 970,

a decrease relative to population levels at the time of the April site visits. The facility has 18

housing units, which are both single and double celled. Analysis of DOC housing data shows

that as of May 13, 2020, 59 percent of the inmates housed at the CDF were housed in single cells

2 The team amici assembled for this stage of their work included two additional members. The majority of case record reviews were conducted by Janet Maher, an attorney who has extensive experience in working in institutional and health-care settings. Ms. Maher headed the Office of Corporation Counsel's Mental Health Division from 1992 to 2000, worked as Deputy General Counsel and Chief of Staff for the District's Child and Family Services Agency from 2000 to 2007 and as DOJ Compliance Officer at Saint Elizabeths Hospital from 2007 to 2014.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Banks v. Booth, (D.D.C. 2020).

Banks v. Booth (Banks v. Booth) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.