Cases
DRW v. DOC
On October 11, 2023, Disability Rights Washington (DRW) filed a complaint and settlement agreement in federal court to resolve allegations that the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) is violating the U.S. Constitution, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Rehabilitation Act in its treatment of incarcerated people with disabilities who are transgender. The court entered a consent decree ordering DOC to comply with the agreement on October 17.
Doe v. Washington State Department of Corrections
In 2021, Disability Rights Washington and co-counsel sued the Washington Department of Corrections to prevent it from releasing information through the Washington Public Records Act about transgender, non-binary, and intersex people with disabilities in DOC custody. DRW enjoined the disclosure and won a federal consent decree in 2023. The case was closed in 2024 after DRW monitored DOC to ensure compliance.
DRW v. Yakima County
In 2018, Disability Rights Washington won a federal consent decree concerning the treatment and conditions of people with disabilities in Yakima County Jail. After five years of monitoring, DRW and Yakima County agreed to dismiss the consent decree in 2023.
DRW v. Sinclair (formerly DRW v. Inslee)
In April 2018, Disability Rights Washington and co-counsel Paukert and Troppmann filed a federal lawsuit to challenge the Department of Corrections’ practice of housing inmates with mental health needs in overly restrictive custodial settings at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Disability Rights Washington is serving as the organizational plaintiff in this case, which is ongoing.
R.R. v. DSHS
This class action litigation was brought by Disability Rights Washington and co-counsel Carney Gillespie Isitt PLLP in 2017, on behalf of approximately 30 Special Commitment Center (SCC) residents with serious mental illness, developmental and intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and other cognitive conditions that make it difficult for them to participate in, and benefit from, the specialized sex offender treatment program offered at the facility. The lawsuit also challenged the harsh, often punitive conditions in which many of these residents were housed.