Inmates were kept in 3-by-3 feet shower stalls filled with feces for days, lawsuit says

Seven inmates are suing after they say they were mistreated and forced to stay in makeshift “micro solitary confinement cells” for days at a time.

The lawsuit filed April 9 in Oklahoma names the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, four employees and two supervisors and administrators.

In 2023, an inmate who was assigned to an 8-man cell at the Great Plains Correctional Center requested to be transferred due to safety concerns, the lawsuit said. The inmate was a convicted sex offender and the court document said the men in the cell were “in possession of homemade knives.”

As a result of his request, prison staff moved the inmate to a 3-by-3 shower stall “marred by unsanitary conditions, including feces on the floor,” the lawsuit said.

The inmate was without clothing and had to “relieve himself in the same area where he stood,” his attorneys said. When he asked staff why he was being subjected to those conditions, he overheard one worker tell a colleague “he’s a sex offender,” according to the lawsuit.

McClatchy News reached out to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for comment April 18. A representative said they cannot comment on specific litigation, but that “inmates were placed in showers temporarily when they refused housing while waiting for a different cell to open, and it was confirmed that inmates were moved in and out of the showers all day. While in the showers, inmates were fed, had access to water, and were given restroom breaks.”

The inmate was only removed from the shower stall when he tried to take his life Aug. 15 after four nights in the cell, according to the lawsuit.

While the inmate was being kept in the shower, he noticed at least two other inmates in shower stalls being subjected to similar conditions, the lawsuit said.

“Other inmates similarly suffered in these cells, with instances of being locked up for extended periods without restroom breaks, highlighting the widespread nature of this issue,” the court document said.

One inmate was locked in shower stalls four times, causing mental and physical suffering, the lawsuit said.

Another inmate listed as a plaintiff in the case was locked in shower stalls three times for 24-hour-periods, according to the attorneys. He was pepper sprayed before being placed in the shower stall, experienced issues with “scalding hot water” and was not given a cup or anything to drink out of, according to the lawsuit.

A fourth inmate listed as a plaintiff was locked in a shower stall for 36 hours while a fifth inmate was confined to a 2-by-2 space for 42 hours, the lawsuit said.

A sixth inmate listed as a plaintiff was placed in a shower stall for an extended period of time and was subjected to pepper-spray attacks while in there, according to the lawsuit. Attorneys said the seventh inmate listed as a plaintiff was locked in a shower stall and denied basic necessities.

The lawsuit said the prison management would try to intimidate staff members who took issue with the treatment of the inmates and refused to take part in it.

After concerns were raised, an investigation into the treatment of inmates and the shower stalls began on Aug. 23. Results from the investigation found that prison staff acknowledged inmates were being locked in shower stalls, but said that it was due to overcrowding and not enough beds, as opposed to a punishment, according to the lawsuit.

“We stand behind the investigation conducted by (Oklahoma Department Of Correction’s) Office of Inspector General,” a spokesperson said. “ODOC has since discontinued using showers as holding cells in all instances.”

The plaintiffs in the case are asking for an undetermined amount in damages, as well as “an injunction to prohibit any future breaches of constitutional rights and to ensure the humane treatment of all inmates.”

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