FJI Ends 30-year-old Consent Decree with Monroe County Jail that Drastically Improved Conditions

First filed in 1980, the case of McIntyre v. Perryam resulted in a consent decree against the Monroe County Jail in Key West for its horrific and unsanitary conditions.  The buildings were infested with vermin, the plumbing hardly worked, fights were commonplace, medical care was atrocious or nonexistent, and inmates went months without outdoor rec time. It had gotten so bad that guards refused to enter certain portions of the jail.  After taking over representation of the case, FJI engaged in settlement monitoring over the years, visiting the jail to interview inmates and inspect the progress being made.  Eventually, a new jail was built and, while not perfect, was eventually brought up to decent and sanitary standards.  Thus, the consent decree terminated in 2012, and Monroe County paid $161,000 in attorneys’ fees.