"Massachusetts Prison Violence Lawsuit Settled for $6.75M, Prompts Sweeping Reforms"

"Hogan Lovells and Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts secured a US$6.75 million settlement in a federal class action lawsuit addressing systemic violence and racial discrimination at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center (SBCC). The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 160 incarcerated individuals, revealed unconstitutional abuse by correctional officers in 2020, including excessive force and targeting Black and Latino individuals. The settlement includes monetary relief and mandates significant policy reforms at SBCC to prevent future misconduct."

Hogan Lovells and Hemenway & Barnes LLP participated in the transaction, assisting the class members and the estates of deceased class members, respectively. The transaction involved a US$6.75 million settlement in the federal class action lawsuit Diggs v. Mici, which addressed systemic and unconstitutional violence, excessive force, and racial discrimination against incarcerated individuals at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center (SBCC) in Massachusetts. The settlement provides monetary relief to approximately 160 current and former incarcerated individuals and requires SBCC to implement significant policy reforms to address its history of misconduct. The Hogan Lovells team included Tony Fuller (partner, Boston), Greg Noonan (partner, Boston), Alex Bailey (counsel, Boston), Courtney Caruso (senior associate, Boston), Jason Perez (associate, Boston), Fleming Farrell (associate, Washington, D.C.), and Melissa Cieszkowski (senior paralegal, Boston). Hemenway & Barnes LLP represented the estates of deceased class members on a pro bono basis.

"Massachusetts Prison Violence Lawsuit Settled for $6.75M, Prompts Sweeping Reforms"

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