Rights Behind Bars
Rights Behind Bars (“RBB”) works alongside incarcerated people to challenge the cruel and inhumane conditions of confinement in jails, prisons, and immigration detention centers through litigation and advocacy. Its work is nationwide. It intervenes in appellate cases to establish strong case law that paves the way for pro se plaintiffs litigating the same issues. Rights Behind Bars approaches its trial litigation through a movement lawyering framework—pairing innovative litigation strategies with public advocacy, education, media, and organizing to ensure that their work has a broader and more sustainable scope than what would be achievable through litigation alone.
THE CASE
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California Coalition for Women Prisoners, et. al. v. United States of America Federal Bureau of Prisons, et. al.
On August 16th, 2023, Rights Behind Bars filed a class action on behalf of all people incarcerated at FCI Dublin, a federal women’s prison in Dublin, California where sexual abuse by staff members was so pervasive that it was known as “the rape club.” Its litigation strategy aims to achieve justice for survivors of sexual abuse by utilizing a two-pronged legal approach involving injunctive relief for systemic change and parallel damages claims.
