Minnesota County Sheds Suit Over Jail Gym Closure During Covid

Sherburne County, Minn., and jail officials were granted summary judgment in a federal lawsuit brought by six former pre-trial detainees and convicted inmates, who claimed their constitutional rights were violated when they weren’t allowed to use gym facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Prison Litigation Reform Act barred the former inmates’ and detainees’ claim for monetary relief because they didn’t allege sufficient physical injury due to the gym closure, Judge David S. Doty of the US District Court for the District of Minnesota said. They allegedly suffered injuries due to the Covid-19 policy the jail had in place including “weight ...