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Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act
The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) authorizes
the U.S. Attorney General to investigate conditions of confinement
at state and local government institutions such as prisons, jails,
pretrial detention centers, juvenile correctional facilities, publicly
operated nursing homes, and institutions for people with psychiatric
or developmental disabilities. Its purpose is to allow the Attorney
General to uncover and correct widespread deficiencies that seriously
jeopardize the health and safety of residents of institutions. The
Attorney General does not have authority under CRIPA to investigate
isolated incidents or to represent individual institutionalized
persons.
The Attorney General may initiate civil lawsuits where there is
reasonable cause to believe that conditions are "egregious
or flagrant," that they are subjecting residents to "grievous
harm," and that they are part of a "pattern or practice"
of resistance to residents' full enjoyment of constitutional or
federal rights, including Title II of ADA and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act. For more information or to bring a matter to
DOJ's attention, contact:
Special Litigation Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66400
Washington, DC 20035-6400
(202) 514-6255 (voice/relay)
www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/index.html
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