US Federal District Court Judge Cindy Jorgensen said that she would reconsider and agreement between Arizona and an inmate. This is regarding the complaint of a racial segregation in the state's prisons.
According to ABC News, Stephen Rudisil filed a civil rights lawsuit last 2013 against the Department of Corrections regarding the use of race-based housing and work assignments. This prompted the agreement to take effect after a year of negotiations. Rudisil who is an African-American claimed that he was housed together with another African-American, who constantly pushes him to join a gang. The Arizona state is believed to be the only prison who uses race as a factor in housing inmates.
The state will launch a program involving work and housing duties and follow its progress once the federal judge approved the agreement. Incidents regarding inmates with racial motivation towards others are expected. If approved, this program will start within this year and will end by 2021.
Although the state denied that it has racial segregation, the evidence show that all dormitories, which makes up the 86 percent of prison beds are already racially integrated. Andrew Wilder, spokesman for the Department of Corrections said that there are deadly consequences to sudden and compulsory racial integration within the prisons two man cell.
During a court hearing last Monday, Judge Jorgensen asked that if it is necessary to do a large scale change to a state prison regarding inmates housing assignments after only one inmate filed a case. She reiterated that it would require a huge amount of resources.
Paul Carter. Assistant Attorney general said that making these changes will avoid other inmates to file the same type of lawsuit. Bert Deixler, the plaintiffs' attorney replied that it's not valid that is someone is black, he is more prone to attacking whites or Latinos after the prison officials claimed that the racially based housing is made to keep peace among inmates.
