Female Inmates Sue Over 24/7 Lights-On Policy

Three female prisoners at one of the country’s biggest jails filed a civil rights lawsuit saying the Northern California facility’s policy of keeping lights on 24 hours per day amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Santa Rita Jail’s lights-on policy, coupled with a daily schedule that prevents prisoners from sleeping more than 5.5 hours per night and other disturbances, significantly affects prisoners’ ability to function, the lawsuit claims.

Thee policies, which apply equally to pregnant women, lead to emotional and cognitive impairment, weakened immune systems, irritability, and a decreased ability to exercise self control according to the lawsuit. Prisoners say ...